


The Tall Lawyer, the Sparkly Teacher (and Everything in Between)

by lesbianxshuri



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AH/AU, Alec has a son, Arranged Marriage, Car Accident, F/M, He's best friend with Raj, Homophobic Language, Homophobic characters, John Monteverde is alive, Lawyer!Alec, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other, Slow Burn Malec, Teacher!Magnus, art martial artist!Jace, art teacher!Clary, doctor!Izzy, father!Alec, good parents Lightwood, musician!Simon, temporary paralysis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-08-11 08:52:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 82,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7884691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianxshuri/pseuds/lesbianxshuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a single father and busy lawyer living in New York City, Alec Lightwood doesn't really have the time to pursue a relationship - no matter how many times his closed ones tried to play matchmaker. He had no idea it would take his son getting in a fight for him to meet someone that was worth his time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Solid Partnership

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my Malec multi chapter 'All Human' fan fiction. It's a really, really a slow burn, so please bear with me because I've been working really hard on it and I love it, so far! Please, read and give me our opinion. 
> 
> You'll have to wait a bit to meet Magnus, though. I promise it's worth the wait.

 S **EPTEMBER 2005**

Lydia Branwell walked to him during one of his parents’ soirees, a frown on her face and a glass of champagne in her hand. His jaw clenched, Alec pushed himself of the wall he was leaning and mentally prepared himself for the meeting he has been dreading for weeks. He knew Lydia and was pretty sure Lydia knew him; they shared several classes and had been in the same study group last semester. This meeting was nothing but an act, putting on display the newly alliance between the Lightwoods and Branwells.

 

Looking above the blonde’s head, Alec could see Isabelle and Jace leaning against the bar counter, watching both of them through narrowed eyes. He could see Jace lean over to whisper something in his sister’s ear and frowned as Isabelle snorted, hiding her smirk behind her glass of wine. A few steps away stood their mother, who watched Lydia approach with a keen eye while talking with one of the many guests. Clearing his throat, Alec loosened the knot of his tie and clasped his hands behind his back. He restrained a snort as he watched Lydia, getting closer, pushed back her shoulders and plastered a smile on her face. Alec found himself imitating her.

 

“Mr Lightwood, nice to see you again,” Lydia breathed out, holding out a hand.

 

“Ms Branwell,” he retorted with a nod as he shook her hand, “Likewise.”

 

Alec stopped himself from flinching when she narrowed her eyes at him, as if she were trying to see if he meant what he said. Without losing his smile, he slowly took back his hand out of her hold. Lydia hummed and took a sip of her drink, turning around so she could watch over the crowd with him. He shot a quick glance at her before looking back around the room and clearing the throat again.

 

“Nice party, uh?”

 

Lydia snorted and shook her head, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

 

“Really? That’s your approach?”

 

Frowning, Alec looked down at her to see her hiding a smirk behind her champagne flute. He unbuttoned his jacket and he stuffed a hand into his pocket, observing the smaller blonde. Lydia was staring in front, her head tilted to the side as she watched guests mill around, sending smiles left and right before her gaze settled on one person. Alec followed the gaze and found himself staring at Isabelle, the latter locked in a stare-off with the blonde. Lydia pursed her lips, thoughtful.

 

“I had a talk with your sister,” she said before downing her drink. Wincing as she swallowed, she shook her head, “she doesn’t like me very much.”

 

Alec narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed, grabbing two champagne flutes from a waiter passing by. He replaced her empty drink with one of his, making her turn to him.

 

“Yeah, well Izzy isn’t really happy with me and my choices either,” he muttered, “She’s been quite vocal about it,” He added with a small smirk.

 

Lydia let out a loud, unladylike snort, smirking back at the taller man. The snort attracted the attention of two women standing a few steps away from them. Alec had to restrain a laugh at the looks they were sending them, smirking at Lydia as she quickly sobered up and pretended not to be bothered by those looks. He shot them his most charming smile and raised his flute in greeting. They returned the small gesture, fake smiles plastered on their faces, before turning away and gossiping among themselves.

 

Alec chuckled when he heard Lydia groan and mutter profanities under her breath. Looking up at him, she mouthed a _‘thank you’._ Alec clicked her glass with his in response before taking a sip of champagne. Surprisingly, the alcohol managed to soothe him.

 

“Speaking of choices, was it yours?” At Alec’s confused frown, she rolled her eyes, “All of _this,_ ” she said, gesturing to the entire room “Was it you who choose to be part of it?”

 

The question did nothing to clear his confusion. If anything, it worsened it. Why would this not be his choice? Alec was a grown man, he made his own choices. The question stirred some doubt in his mind. He was doing what he thought was right, for him and for his family but had it been his choice?

Alec remembered catching his mother in tears in her office, one night and not knowing how to comfort her. He remembered hearing his parents fighting and Max coming to seek comfort in his bed, Isabelle not far behind. He remembered being caught making out with Oliver from Political Law and the backlash that followed. He remembered how things got worse from there: the crying, the fighting, the shouting.

 

The alliance’s proposition between the Lightwoods and the Branwells had been a blessing. An opportunity for Alec to make things right again, not that Isabelle or Jace seemed to think so. As soon as they had heard his idea, both of them had vehemently argued against it. _‘It’s your life to ruin,’_ Isabelle had spat before walking away from him, closely followed by Jace. Alec hadn’t thought much of those words, simply spoken in the heat of the moment. How could he possibly ruin his life protecting his loved ones?

 

A clear of throat startled him, breaking his train of thoughts. Beside him, Lydia was staring at him, both her eyebrows up as she expected an answer to a question. Shaking himself, Alec cleared his throat and plastered a smile on his face.

 

“Yeah, it…” Alec paused for a second, looking for words, and shrugged a shoulder, “It seemed like the right thing to do. What about you? Was it your choice?”

 

Alec brought his glass to his lips and took a long gulp, making sure so he wouldn’t be able to answer another question. While she didn’t seem convinced by his answer, Lydia didn’t push. Biting her bottom lip, she shrugged.

 

“It’s like I had any other options, so… It has my choice.”

 

Alec noticed how she kept her answer vague, but likewise, didn’t push for details. With a hum, he downed his flute in one-go before taking another look around the room. He jumped when he felt Lydia’s arm loop through his. He restrained himself from flinching and looked down at her from the corner of his eye, muttering:

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

“See that blonde woman your mother’s talking to?” Lydia hissed through her teeth, smiling as she waved to someone.

 

Sure enough, as he followed her eye-line, Alec found him staring at Maryse as she chatted with another, familiar woman. Every two seconds, both of them would turn away from each other and shot looks at the couple. Alec gave her a small nod, letting her grab his hand.

 

“That would be my mother. And by the way they’re both looking at us, I think we should be doing anything other than stand on the side and watch.”

 

The corner of his mouth twitched up as he snorted, looking down at the blonde, and gave her hand a small squeeze. With a sigh, Alec stepped out of the shadows, dragging Lydia behind him.

 

“So, let’s mingle,” he whispered, plastering a smile on his face – and ignoring Isabelle’s eye rolls - as they made their way through the crowd

 

“Let’s mingle,” she repeated, gripping his hand with both of hers as if she was holding onto dear life.

 

*****

**NEW YORK UNIVERSITY**

**NYC, NY.**

 

 

“An _arranged marriage,_ huh? I didn’t know that was still a thing in the 21 st century.” 

Lydia briefly looked up from her rummaging to throw a glare at Raj. The latter was laying on the bed of her roommate, looking at her through narrowed eyes. She sighed and threw the clothes she had chosen to wear on her bed, running her fingers through her hair. Turning to Raj, she placed her hands on her hips and plastered a patient smile on her face.

“It’s not an arranged marriage, it’s more of a… business partnership,” Lydia said, snapping her fingers, proud of her retort. 

“That your parents arranged,” Raj deadpanned, playing with a pillow. Tilting his head to the side, he brought the pillow to his chest, “And you’re getting married. So technically, it _is_ an arranged marriage.”

Lydia groaned and snatched the pillow out of his hands, throwing it back on the bed.

“Whatever. Can you not mess with Lily’s stuff? She already hates me enough without you adding fuel to the fire.”

Raj raised both of his hands in an innocent way, getting off the bed, much to Lydia’s relief. He went to sit at her desk, twirling in her office chair. She paid him no attention as she got out of her sweatpants and worn-out shirt, quickly replacing it with a yellow sundress. Raj watched her, his lips pursed in thought as he played with one of the stress balls on her desk.

“Does _he_ know?” 

Lydia froze for a second, staring off in space before shaking herself out of her trance. Fighting with the zipper of her dress, she looked up and frowned her eyebrows, faking confusion.

“Why would _he_ know? He was nothing to do with it,” letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned to him, “Could you zip me up?”

Raj stared at her, wondering if he should call her out on her half assed excuses. He chose to stay quiet and slowly got up from the chair, pushing back her blonde hair to the side so he could zip up her dress without any difficulties. She thanked him with a small smile, which he returned, before grabbing a brush off of her desk and mercilessly attacking thee knots in her hair.

“You look cute,” Raj said, leaning against the desk, “Going to see a special someone?”

Lydia hummed, replacing the brush with her fingers as she quickly braided her hair.

“Not really, just meeting Alec for coffee.”

“Ah,” he smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her, “Planning to seduce the future hubby?”

Lydia scoffed, rolling her eyes at her friend’s antic, and sat down her bed, reaching for her ankles boots. She had meant she had said hers and Alec’s engagement was a business partnership. She didn’t see herself falling in love with him, no matter how nice he had been with her. She knew Alec wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way. Both of them had their reasons to accept to be a part of this scam.

A series of knock made her look up. Turning to her, Raj cocked an eyebrow at her. She replied with a shrug. Brushing strays of hair back, she got up and went to answer the door. Opening it, Lydia found Alec standing behind it, his arms crossed behind his back as he rocked back and forth on the heels. She couldn’t help but smile at his discomfort.

“Hi! Please come in,” Lydia opened the door wider, letting him enter the room.

Alec returned the smile and entered, rubbing the back of his neck. At her desk, Raj watched with interest and stared at the man as if he was a piece of meat. Not that he didn’t look good, because he definitely did. Instead of the formal suit and tie he had been wearing she first met him, Alec wore dark jeans, a denim button-up, and black combat boots. His leather jacket was hanging from his elbow and his hair was tousled, instead of gelled down. Lydia decided she liked him better that way.

Seeing as Raj’s gaze lingered, she rolled her eyes and threw him a stare. He shrugged and smirked, earning a groan from the small blonde. Alec turned back to her, a confused frown on his face. Lydia cleared a throat and placed a hand on his arm.

“Alec, this is my friend Raj Aarhant. Raj, this is Alec Lightwood, my fiancé.

With a kind smile, Raj held out a hand.

“Nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Can’t say the same about you,” Alec retorted, “Not that it’s not nice to meet you. I just meant that I haven’t heard… a lot…about you,” he quickly added after realizing what he had said, oblivious to Lydia and Raj’s exchange of glances, “You know what? I’m going to wait for you in the hall,” Alec slowly backed out of the room, giving Raj a small wave, “It _was_ nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he said, chuckling.

“I’ll be right out,” Lydia assured Alec, before closing the door behind him. 

Raj guffawed and fell onto Lydia’s bed, crossing his ankles. The blonde chuckled, shaking her head. He let out a long breath, rubbing his face with both hands.

“Well, that was something,” Raj said, placing his hands behind his head, “I’m going to tell you something he isn’t. _Straight_.”

Lydia rolled her eyes and pushed herself of the door, walking to her desk. Snatching the denim jacket resting on the chair, she shrugged it on and adjusted her collar, making sure her hair wasn’t in the way.

“I already told you. I’m not interested in falling in love with him,” she said, looking around the room for something, a frown on her face, “have you seen my scarf? The white one with flowers on it?”

Raj sat, grabbed the garment hidden under her pillows and handed it to her. Sighing in relief, Lydia grinned at him and went to take it. Only to have Raj pull back his arm when she tried. She glared at him.

“What are you playing at?” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Just… Be careful, a’right?” Raj asked, ignoring her glare.

Her scowl lost some of its heat as she noticed the genuine concern of her friend. With a small groan, she nodded.

“Fine,” she muttered, snatching the scarf out of his hand and wrapping it around her neck, “Don’t wait up, _Dad,”_ she mocked as she went to the door, earning an eye roll from her friend, “And don’t touch-“

 “Lily’s stuff, I know,” Raj said, waving her away, “Go now. Your boy toy is expecting you.”

 

* 

Alec pushed himself off the wall when the door opened. Getting out of her room, Lydia sent him a small apologetic smile.

 “Sorry for the wait.”

 

He dismissed the apology with a shrug, the corner of his lips lifting up.

 

“It’s fine,” Alec stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Shall we?” he added, holding out her arm for her. 

“We shall” Lydia looped her arm through his elbow, “So,” she asked as they started to walk, “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

 

As they walked, Alec noticed several students throwing glances their way, as if seeing them walking together was strange. Maybe it was. He tried not to let their looks bother him and focused on the blonde by his side. Taking a breath, he ran his fingers through his hair with his free hand.

 

“I wanted us to make sure our cover story doesn’t have any hole in it. You know, how people are.”

 

At those words, Lydia looked around her and noticed the same thing as Alec. People watching them with disbelief or curiosity. She hummed, plastering a smile on her face and waving at the students she recognized. Alec was always surprised at the ease Lydia showed, pretending to be the girl everyone expected her to be.

 

“They talk, don’t mind their own businesses and create rumours. I mean, we just got engaged out of nowhere.”

 

“So, what’s our game plan, Lightwood?” Lydia asked, grabbing his hand.

 

Alec held the door open for her, closing his jacket at the sudden blast of wind.

 

“First things first,” he said, following Lydia outside, “you need a ring.”

 

“You’re going to buy me a ring?” she asked in disbelief and amusement.

 

“I don’t need to buy you a ring,” Alec retorted, chuckling, “I’ve already got one for you.”

 

He took out a small velvet box out of his pocket, smiling softly when Lydia’s eyes widened at the sight. He took the ring out of the box, pocketing it, and gently grabbed her hand. Lydia was too mesmerized by the ring to resist or protest.

 

“My mother got me this. Told me I had to give it to you or else, we wouldn’t be taking seriously. It belonged to my great-grand mother. Legends said she was royalty: she fought wars fiercely and ruled with an iron fist. She knew how to be gentle and kind when he needed, though.”

 

She woke from her trance at the tale, gaping at him. She clenched her hand into a fist.

 

“I can’t take this. It’s too much-“

 

“Of course you can,” Alec gently squeezed her hand, “it’s just a ring. My parents have a vault filled with these. I’m pretty sure those ‘legends’ are made up stories our parents told us before bed.”

 

While she still seemed hesitant, Lydia relaxed and unclenched her fingers, giving him a small nod. Returning it, he shot her a teasing smile.

 

“Lydia Branwell, would you do me the honour of becoming my fake wife? For better or for worse?”

 

Stiffening a chuckle, she held her head high and tried to act as serious as she could.

 

“Yes, I would.”

 

Grinning, Alec slowly slid the ring onto her finger. Lydia held out her hand in front of her, admiring the jewellery. Letting the hand fall to her side, she turned to him.

 

“What now?”

 

Alec wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making Lydia wrap an arm around his waist.

 

“Now,” he sighed, “we’re going to go on our first public date as an engaged couple.

 

**OCTOBER 2005**

**THE GLEASON GYM**

**NEW YORK CITY, NY**

 

“Hey Bruce,” Lydia called as she entered the Gleason Gym, carrying a trail of coffees and a bag of hot pastries.

 

The old man standing at the counter, looked up from his newspaper and smiled at the small blonde. He took off his glasses and dropped them onto the table.

 

“Morning, Ms Branwell. I didn’t think I’d see you so soon,” Bruce said, pushing his stuff away as Lydia put a steaming Styrofoam cup in front of him.

 

She frowned her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

 

“Whatever do you mean by that?”

 

“I heard your parents had forbidden you to come here,” he retorted, leaning over the counter, “Plus, after what happened with the _boy_ , I didn’t think you’d want to be back.”

 

Lydia scoffed and rolled her eyes, tightening her ponytail before letting her arms fall back to her sides. With a sigh, she reached into the paper bag, took out an apple turnover out of it and handed it to Bruce. The latter accepted the pastry with a smirk. She returned it.

 

“I thought you knew me better than that, Bruce. As if a boy would stop me from doing anything,” then, in a lower tone, she added, “And, what my parents doesn’t know, can’t hurt them.”

 

Bruce laughed and tilted his cup to her. Lydia let out a small giggle, hissing her sport bag higher her shoulder, and took a sip of her own coffee.

 

“Will Raj be joining you later?” he wondered, handing her a set of keys.

 

“Nah, he’s too busy being hangover,” she smiled when he laughed, “I’ll see you later,” she added, passing by the small gate.

 

“Don’t punch holes into my bags!”

 

“No promises!” Lydia called back.

 

She quickly passed by the changing rooms before entering the training area. Lydia let out a sigh of relief as she entered the empty area. She had been avoiding coming for weeks, trying to act like the perfect daughter her parents expected her to be. Dropping her towel and sport bag on the bench, the blonde went to pick a sandbag and hang it to a hook. Lydia made sure the bag was steady before beginning to wrap her wrists and slipping her gum teeth to her mouth. Lydia, then, slid her gloves on, bumping her fists together and rolling her neck. Glaring at the sandbag, she threw the first punch. Jumping from left to right, she kept punching, changing angles and using different combinations.

 

Halfway through her routine, Lydia noticed a familiar blonde man entering the area. Jace Wayland/Lightwood gave her a small nod when he passed by her, not showing any surprise at her presence there. She watched as he grabbed a dummy and dragged it across the room. Letting out a sigh, Lydia focused back onto her bag, punching it until her wrists began to ache and the leather was starting to tear. After half an hour of punching and jumping, she decided it was time to take a break. Steading the bag, she took off her gloves and wiped her sweat on her forehead with her shirt, falling back onto a bench. Spitting out her gum shield, she grabbed a bottle of water out of her bag and downed half of it, not caring about the water spilling on her shirt. She, then, grabbed her towel and began to dab the back of her neck with it.

 

“Well, well, well. Look at what the cat dragged in, boys,” a deep voice boomed.

 

Lydia froze, closing her eyes. Well, the quiet had been nice will it lasted. She plastered a smile on her face and opened her eyes, staring back at the three men entering the room. From the corner of her eye, she could see Jace stop punching the dummy, watching the scene with frowned eyebrows. Much to Lydia’s relief, he chose to stay away. She slowly got up from the punch and crossed her arms.

 

“Tony, Paul and Artie. I’d say it’s nice to see you boys, but I wouldn’t mean it,” she greeted, tilting her head to the side.

 

The smaller one – Artie – scoffed and walked closer to her, stepping into her personal space. Seriously, she could smell the cigars he smoke while pretending to be a mobster.

 

“What are you doing here, Branwell? It isn’t a place for royalty, right boys?” He snarled, tilting his head back.

 

Lydia rolled her eyes as the two guys behind him snicker in agreement like the stupid bullies that they were. Artie smirked and looked back at her. The blonde smirked back, trying to stop herself from flinching.

“You don’t own the place, Artie,” Lydia shrugged, “I came here to punch stuff. So, you better stay out of my way.”

 

Taking a few steps, Artie let out a disbelieved laugh and turned back to his goons, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand and stuffing his other hand in his pocket. Lydia scowled at his turned back.

 

“You know it’s funny how,” he said, turning back to face her, “s _ome_ people get to do and say everything they want. Somehow, they get away with it while _others_ suffer the consequences.”

 

“Yeah, exactly how it’s funny that the dumbest shit come out of _some_ people’s mouths and they keep talking.” Lydia retorted without missing a beat.

 

She was pretty sure she heard Jace laughing before he covered it with a fake cough. Artie’s smirk vanished and was quickly replaced by a snarl, his fists clenching.

 

“You stupid bitch-“ he spat, throwing a punch.

 

Unfazed, Lydia caught his fist with one hand without blinking, and twisted his arm, forcing him onto his knees. Smirking at his pained facial expression as she tightened her grip, she leaned in and faked a pout.

 

“Poor Artie,” she cooed, giggling softly, “You should know by now,” her pout turned into a snarl as she growled, “You _fucking_ bow when you’re talking to a queen.”

 

Shooting a soft smile, Lydia crashed her fist into his face, sighing in satisfaction when she felt his nose crack. Letting go of his arm, Artie crashed down to the ground, cradling his broken nose while spouting insults at her. Sighing, she turned to Paul and Tony, who were staring at her with a mix of amazement and fear. She smiled at them.

 

A clear of throat made every heads to the front entrance. Bruce was standing at the top of the stairs, frowning at the group as he leaned over the railing.

 

“Is there a problem?”

 

“No problem, Bruce,” Lydia answered, grinning widely, “Artie, here, lost his footing. He just slipped and fell, right on his face.”

 

Bruce threw her a look, unimpressed by her excuses. The blonde kept smiling, shrugging her shoulders in ‘ _what-can-you-do’_ manner.

 

“Did he, now?” He insisted.

 

“Yeah he did,” Jace answered, stepping out of the shadows. She tried to look unperturbed by the sudden appearance, “There was nothing we could do, it happened too fast.”

 

“If you say so, Mr Lightwood,” Bruce sighed before turning to the trio, “I guess you gentlemen should train in a less slippery area,” he added before taking his leave.

 

Both Tony and Paul hauled Artie to his feet, dragging him out of the training area while glaring daggers. Lydia kept smiling and waved at them in response. Beside her, she heard Jace snort as he glared back. Her smile vanished as soon as the men were out of her sight. Unclenching her fist, she softly rubbed her split knuckles.

 

“You alright?”

 

She looked up at Jace, the latter looking at her in concern. She smiled and gave him a small nod, unwrapping her harmed hand before walking to her bed and wrapping a clean bandage around it, clenching and unclenching her fingers.

 

“I’m fine,” Lydia stuffed her things in her bag and zipped it, “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

 

“It’s fine,” he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, “Alec would have my head if I didn’t defend his wife-to-be. Even though she clearly doesn’t need my help,” he added, earning a small chuckle from Lydia, “who were those assholes, anyway?”

 

“Exactly just that,” she answered, shrugging on her sweater, “Assholes.”

 

Jace hummed and ran his fingers through his hair before stuffing his hands in his pockets. Clearing his throat, he nodded toward her hand.

 

“You should put ice on that,”

 

“I will,” Lydia assured him with a small smile, hissing her bag on her shoulder. Jace returned the smile and gave her a nod before walking back to his dummy, “Hey, Jace?” he turned back and cocked an eyebrow at her, “thank you.”

 

He smirked.

 

“Anytime, sister.”

 

**LIGHTWOOD RESIDENCE,**

**MANHATTAN, NY.**

“Hey Alec!”

 

Alec turned around to the call of his name, wiping his face with his already soaked shirt, took his buds out of his ears and walked to the kitchen. Max was sitting at the kitchen table, munching on toast while doing his homework. He smiled at his youngest brother, ruffling his hair as he passed by him. Snatching on an apple from the fruit basket, he jumped on the counter.

 

“Hey Maxi-Max! What are you working on?”

 

“Calculus,” the blonde retorted, grimacing.

 

Taking a bite of the fruit, Alec gave a sympathetic wince. Swallowing the food, he shook his head.

 

“Math. What an evil concept,” then shrugging a shoulder, he added, “Luckily, I don’t have to deal with it anymore.

 

He laughed at Max’s groaning. The latter glared at him, stuffing the rest of his toast in his mouth, and banged the head on the table. Once again, Alec winced before returning his attention on the fruit in his hand. He looked up when Isabelle entered the room, her upper body hidden by the laundry she was carrying. She dropped the basket on the floor with a groan and stretched her arms over her hand, sighing in satisfaction when her shoulders popped. Letting them fall to her side, Isabelle scrunched up her nose and turned to look at Alec, the latter oblivious. Her groan of disgust made him look up. He lifted an eyebrow.

 

“Where did you jog? A sewer?” At his eye roll, she insisted, “Seriously, you stink. You should get off that counter and go take a shower before Mom find you there.”

 

Alec stayed silent but slid off the counter, throwing the core in the opened bin. He fist pumped while Max cheered when it landed right in the middle of it, earning an eye roll from Isabelle. She walked to Max and turned his head, practically shoving it into his schoolbook. Alec snorted as Isabelle returned to her chores, ignoring her little brother’s glare.

 

Passing his tongue on his teeth, Alec cleared his throat and went to sit next to Max. The blonde slowly looked up, weary of his sister’s reaction while the latter ignored the both of them.

 

“So I was thinking…,” he started.

 

“ _Que Dios nos proteja_ _,”_ Isabelle muttered, ignoring the glare Alec sent her way as she stuffed clothes in the washing machine.

 

“Anyway, I was thinking how you didn’t had the chance to _really_ meet Lydia in the right circumstances – without our parents or other people pressuring us-“

 

So far, Isabelle didn’t seem to be impressed by Alec’s speech, leaning against the laundry machine while checking her nails, disinterested. He didn’t let it bother him and focused on Max.

 

“So how do you say about going out and spending some time with her? Like we could go laser tagging or just at some café, what do you think?”

 

Max tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, as if thoughtful, oblivious of his brother’s amused stare. Alec knew he had him as soon as the words ‘ _laser-tag’_ had left his mouth. Making his decision, Max nodded and gave him a toothy grin.

 

“I’d like that.”

 

“Cool,” Alec nodded before looking at Isabelle, the latter still leaning against the machine, “What about you, Izzy?”

 

“No, thank you,” she immediately retorted, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

 

Alec’s eyes widened as he kept staring at her, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. Isabelle could almost hear the incredulous ‘ _seriously’_ he was conveying with one look. Rolling her brown eyes, she shrugged and plastered a fake-innocent smile on her face.

 

 **“** I’ve already met the girl. Plus, Med School keeps me really busy,” Isabelle shrugged again in a _‘too-bad’_ manner.

 

“I, personally, am up for it.”

 

All heads turned to see Jace lazily leaning against the doorframe, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his blonde hair covering his mismatched eyes. Her arms crossed, Isabelle glared at him while Alec was staring at him in confusion and suspicion. Max was just glad he had a reason to avoid his calculus homework.

 

“ _What?!_ Why?” Isabelle asked, visibly unhappy to have lost her only ally.

 

“Yeah, I’m with Izzy. What’s with the sudden change of attitude?” Alec added, frowning his eyebrows.

 

Jace smirked and gave a small shrug, pushing himself up.

 

“I’ve actually got to spend some one-on-one time with the future Mrs Lightwood. She’s pretty cool.”

 

“Yeah, that doesn’t really comfort me.”

 

Jace rolled his eyes at his older brother and went to stand next to Isabelle, the latter still glaring daggers at him.

 

“Anyway, I’m in,” his smirk softened into a small smile as he turned to his sister, nudging her with his elbow, “you should give her a chance.”

 

Her jaw clenched, she let her arms fall to her side and pushed herself off the laundry machine. Flashing her three brothers a feral grin, widening it when she noticed Jace’s shudder.

 

“I’ll keep it mind.”

 

Her smile turned into a snarl as she bumped past Jace, exiting the kitchen. The blonde man let out a startled laugh, shaking his head at Isabelle’s dramatic antics, as he sat down on the other side of Max, meeting Alec’s unimpressed look for a second. The latter let out a low whistle and raised both of his eyebrows, earning a snort from Jace.

 

Oblivious to the exchange, Max turned to Jace, his eyes wide opened and shining with curiosity.

 

“So how _is_ Lydia?”

 

Jace’s smirk was wide – and worrying, if you asked Alec – as he answered:

 

“Badass.”

 

**THE COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF**

**NEW YORK CITY,**

**NYC**

 

Lydia entered the small café, drenched from head to toe. Her umbrella had decided to turn on itself the second she had left her building and Lydia, not trusting weather forecast, had left with a hoodie-less jacket. Not having the time to go back in her room and change, she had ran to the bus station only to find out an accident had stopped traffic. She, then, decided to run to the coffee shop. Thankfully, she had chosen to wear sneakers. Unfortunately, she had been splashed by a cab a few steps away from the restaurant.

 

Saying Lydia was having a bad day so far was an understatement. She hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, thinking about the meeting with Alec’s younger siblings and about everything that could wrong. Her first meeting with Isabelle hadn’t been the best experience ever and while she hadn’t met Max yet, children were known to be judgemental to new people. His opinion was probably the only one Alec really cared about. Meeting them with mud in her hair and wet clothes weren’t the most ideal circumstances.

 

Groaning, she ran her fingers through her hair, grimacing in disgusting as leaves fell out of it. She put it up in a messy bun, while looking around for Alec in the small, crowded establishment. You’d thought that a person as tall as Alec would’ve been easy to find out in a crowd. No such luck. However, she recognized the blonde boy sitting at a table by the window, alone. As she got closer to his table, throwing elbows to make her way through the crowd, she could see that he was reading a comic book.

 

“ _Spiderman_ , uh?” Lydia smiled as he startled at her voice. Holding her hands behind her back, “What version is it?”

 

The young boy seemed hesitant to answer the question, looking around the place. Lydia followed his gaze to find him staring at Alec, the latter waiting for his order. He looked back at her.

 

“Uh… _The Amazing Spiderman,_ ” he muttered.

 

“Oooh, cool,” Lydia said, “I’m Lydia, by the way,” she added as she noticed he was still reluctant to talk to her.

 

She could almost a light bub appearing on the top of his head as she introduced herself. He pointed to himself, smiling.

 

“Max.”

 

“I know,” she chuckled, “Mind if I sit down?”

 

He shook his head, patting the chair next to him. Lydia’s grin widened. _So far, so good_ , she thought. Taking off her wet jacket, she sat down next to him and crossed her legs.

 

“What number is it?”

 

“ # _300,_ Venom’s first appearance,” Max answered, closing his comic briefly to show her the cover, “Are you a comic book fan?”

 

“I’m a _huge_ comic book fan,” Lydia said, widening her eyes to emphasize, “I started reading them because of my father but I developed a crush on Scott Summers,” she added in a whisper, winking.

 

“Cyclops is awesome!” Max cried, fist pumping the air.

 

“ _Right?”_

The two laughed as they exchanged a quick high-five. Crossing her arms, she looked back to where Alec was standing in the same spot as earlier, playing on his phone as he waited. She noticed that two people were noticeably missing. Frowning, Lydia turned to Max.

 

“Where are Isabelle and Jace? Weren’t they supposed to meet us there?”

 

“Jace is working and had no one to replace him today. Izzy said that she was too busy studying to come and waste her time, so…,” Max shrugged, “It’s just us three.”

 

“Oh,” Lydia said, her grin slowly disappearing.

 

It didn’t take a genius to know Isabelle was using every excuse to not spend time with her. Shaking her head, Lydia let out a sigh and plastered a smile on her face.

 

“Well, too bad. Another time, perhaps.”

 

Alec chose this moment to come back at their table, carrying three fuming mugs.

 

“Alright, one hot chocolate, with cinnamon and whipped cream for you,” he announced, pushing the cup toward Max, “one black coffee for me and-“ Alec looked up, noticing Lydia for the first time, “What happened to _you_?”

 

“Why, thank you Alec, you really know how to make a girl feel nice about herself, “ she deadpanned, rolling her eyes, “and to answer your question, I almost drown in this storm. Luckily, I survived. Is this for me?” she pointed to the third mug.”

 

“Uh- yeah. One pumpkin spiced latte,” Alec answered, pushing the drink toward her, and sat down.

 

Lydia immediately grabbed, relishing the heat emanating from it. She almost moaned after her first gulp. Judging from the amused look Alec sent her way and Max’s frown, she had groaned.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“No problem,” Alec chuckled. His amusement turned into concern as he noticed her shiver. Reaching behind his chair, he took his sweater and handed it to her, “Here, you should go and change in the bathroom. That can’t be healthy.”

 

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”

 

Alec rolled his eyes, handing his sweater to Max, who dropped it on Lydia’s lap.

 

“You won’t be saying that when you’ll be sick and unable to breath through your nose,” he protested, smirking at the glare Lydia sent his way, “Actually, I think I’ve got some towels in the car.”

 

“Alec-“

 

“Will you two be fine while I go and grab them?” He continued, ignoring Lydia’s protesting.

 

Max nodded eagerly, smiling at him. Alec returned the grin.

 

“Cool, I’ll be right back.”

 

She rolled her eyes when he winked at her, taking his umbrella as he got up and walked to the door. Lydia let out an exasperated sigh and took another gulp of her drink. Feeling a pair of eyes watching, she turned her head to meet Max’s gaze.

 

“What is it?” She asked in a soft tone.

 

“Jace told me you were badass,” Max answered with a small smile, “and I’m starting to believe too.”

 

“Because I like comic books?” Lydia asked, frowning her eyebrows in confusion.

 

“Well yeah,” he said in a ‘duh ‘ tone, “It takes a badass to recognize the badassery of comic books.”

 

She almost cooed at the comment. Instead, she grinned and ruffled his hair, snickering at his cry of protest. Even though Lydia already felt her throat aching, her day was taking a turn of the better. If only earning Isabelle’s respect and appreciation was this easy.

* * *

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	2. Platonically Wedded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mother doesn’t care about your approval, whatever she say, goes. You don’t even care about this seating plan. No one does. However,” she took one of his hands, dragging him away from the table and to the couch, “this is an emergency.”
> 
> Alec stared at the piece of clothes on the couch, before looking back at his sister, cocking an eyebrow.
> 
> “What do you mean?”
> 
> “I mean you still haven’t decided on your wedding colours,” Isabelle explained, her hands on her hips, “Do you prefer white and gold? Or black and blue?"
> 
> Alec closed his eyes, restraining a groan. He felt a headache coming on. 'I would prefer to be studying for my midterms.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the amazing feedback, people ! You make my heart sing, I've been going through a hard time lately and you made my days a little more bearable. I love you and I hope you'll stay with me throughout this entire story.

 

**OCTOBER 2005**

 

**COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY,**

**NYC**

Isabelle sat in the cafeteria, books surrounding her plate and eyelids dropping on their own accords. It wasn’t even 1 in the afternoon and she had to pinch herself to stay awake. Maybe she should step pulling all-nighters. Yawning, she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Grimacing at the now cold food, she grabbed her apple and yogurt before pushing her stray away. Loud laughs made her turn around to glare at a group of jocks sitting behind her. Noticing her watching, they whistled and winked and made obscene gestures. She narrowed her eyes at them before turning around, her gaze settling on the knife on the tray. Isabelle wondered how bad could she hurt them with it.

 

The sudden smell of caffeine made her frown and look up. Lydia stood in front of her, a smile on her face and two Styrofoam mugs in her hands. She almost laughed at the sight of her. Though it was still October, Lydia was bundled up in clothes as if she was preparing herself for a storm.

 

“What are _you_ doing here?”

 

She shrugged and handed her one of the cups. Isabelle eyed it without taking it. Lydia’s smile fell as she cleared her throat.

 

“I just thought you needed it. Your brothers have been telling me how hard you worked, so I thought you’d need it.”

 

Isabelle frowned at Lydia’s hoarse voice. The smell of coffee tickling her nostrils made it unable for her to focus.

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“I almost drowned in a storm,” she answered with an amused smile, “do you mind if I keep you company?”

 

 _Actually, yes I do,_ Isabelle wanted to spit. Strangely, she didn’t found the force in her to act like a mean and petty teenage girl. So, she sighed and nodded. Lydia grinned as if she had offered the sun and sat down in front of her, sliding the coffee toward her. She caught it with one hand and immediately took a gulp of it, closing her eyes and moaning lowly as she swallowed.

 

As she re-opened her eyes, she noticed Lydia frowning at something over her shoulders. Without turning around, Isabelle knew she was staring at the group of gorillas from earlier. She rolled her eyes.

 

“Don’t pay attention to them. They’ll think they matter.”

 

Still frowning, Lydia looked back at Isabelle, taking a gulp of her own drink. After swallowing it, she nodded in their direction.

 

“Are those idiots Med students?

 

“Nope, they’re here on a sport scholarship,” Isabelle muttered before smirking mirthlessly and pumping her fist “ _Go Lions_!”

 

Lydia hummed, thoughtful. Then, slowly, she took off her beanie and scarf while maintaining eye contact with the guys behind her. Isabelle frowned at her as she shook the knots of her hair, leaning over the table.

 

“ _What_ are you doing?” she whispered.

 

Lydia hushed her as she slowly took off her coat, pushing up her chest as she did so, displaying her chest. Isabelle was by no means a nun, but seeing Lydia exposing herself made her uncomfortable. She had to restrain herself to jump out of her chair to cover her with her coat and watched as the blonde twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Isabelle cursed under her breath as she heard some guy pushing back his chair.

For some weird reason, Lydia’s grin got wider as the guy got closer to their table. Isabelle couldn’t help but flinch away when he leaned on the table, grimacing when he smirked smugly at her.

 

“Hey, ladies.”

 

She could already taste bile rising up her throat. Seriously, was this guy for real?

 

“Hey _, big guy_!” Lydia giggled, flipping her hair before holding out a hand for him to shake, “I’m Lydia.”

 

Was _she_ for real?? Isabelle turned to the blonde, sending her a ‘ _what-the-fuck’_ look. Lydia met her gaze and her grin turned into a mischievous smirk, which just confused Isabelle further more. She chose to stop trying to understand what she was doing, and leaned back into her chair, watching the exchange.

 

“Nice to meet you, Lydia. I’m Sean,” the newly identified jock introduced himself, letting go of her hand.

 

“ _Very_ nice to meet you, Sean!” The blonde squealed, practically bouncing in her chair, “It’s so nice to meet Izzy’s college friends!”

 

From the corner of her eye, Isabelle could see Sean lose his cool and relaxed composure for a second. Plastering a dumb smirk on his face, he turned back to her.

 

“Uh- we’re not, actually. I just like to admire pretty things,” he said, giving her a once-over, his gaze lingering on her chest.

 

“Oh,” Lydia said, stopping Isabelle from punching Sean in the dick, “I thought that, since all of your friends and yourself were staring creepily at her, you knew her,” she shrugged and took a sip of her drink, wincing as she swallowed, “You know, she has two big brothers. I don’t think they’d appreciate the way you look at her.”

 

Sean turned back to Lydia, letting out a disbelieved laugh.

 

“Are you- Are you _threatening_ me, right now?”

 

“No, no! Of course not, you _silly goose!_ ” Lydia giggled, poking Sean’s nose. Isabelle smirked when he flinched back, “I’m just stating facts. Plus, she wouldn’t need help to kick your ass. All of your asses. Hell, she could kill you for harassing her and come out of a court of law innocent.”

 

“I’m not harassing-“

 

“But that’s right!” Lydia slapped her forehead, interrupting, “Silly me. You’re not harassing her, you’re just ‘ _admiring pretty things’_ from afar. Which could be qualified as stalking, which is illegal. And it’s illegal because stalking is considered a form of harassment. It’s a criminal offence, babe.”

 

Now understanding what Lydia was doing, Isabelle felt a smirk tug at her lips as she saw Sean take a few steps back, his smugness gone. As he was about to protest, Lydia held a hand and turned to Isabelle.

 

“Izzy, honey, do you feel threatened?”

 

Twirling her knife in her fingers, Isabelle faked a pout and sniffed.

 

“ _So_ threatened,”

 

“Now,” she turned back to Sean, “I’d advice you think twice before _‘admiring’_ the daughter of two lawyers, the little sister of an art martial artist and an upcoming lawyer. Plus, you don’t want to upset someone who’s good with a knife,” Lydia leaned and whispered, as if she was confessing something, “They’re crazy, you don’t know what they’ll do.”

 

Leaning back into her chair, the blonde grinned innocently and waved at him.

 

“Again, Sean. It was very nice to meet you,” Lydia, then, pumped her fist, “ _Go Lions!_

 

Lydia rolled her eyes as Sean practically ran out of the cafeteria, his friends quickly following him, while Isabelle laughed. The brunet turned back to Lydia, her smile wide as she wiped tears away.

 

“Okay, that was _awesome,”_ she let out a few last giggles before sobering, faking nonchalance as she took a sip of her coffee, “I didn’t need your help, though.”

 

The blonde tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted a shoulder.

 

“I know you didn’t. But you have to admit, watching grown men running away from a tiny girl with their dicks tucked between their legs, is pretty funny.”

 

Smirking, Isabelle shook her head and held out her cup.

 

“It appears I was wrong about you, Lydia Branwell.”

 

Returning the smirk, the blonde clinked her cup with hers.

 

“Don’t worry about it, many people are.”

 

**NOVEMBER 2005**

**ALEC’S FLAT**

**NYC**

 

Boxes went crashing you to the floor. Alec looked up at Lydia, his eyes wide opened.

 

“She said _what?”_

Lydia sighed and dropped on the couch, her hands shoved in the pockets of her sweater.

 

“Izzy thinks that we should have a Christmas wedding,” the blonde answered.

 

Frowning, he rolled up his sleeves and pushed the boxes further into the room with his foot.

 

“We do _not_ have the time to plan a Christmas wedding,” Alec threw her a glare before nodding to the boxes, “Are you expecting me to move all _your_ stuff by myself? I’m starting to see why Lily thought you were a bad roommate.”

 

Rolling her eyes, the blonde reluctantly got up from the couch with a groan. As they were about to get married, Alec had thought it would be a good idea for them to live in the same place. Much to Lily’s happiness, Lydia had chosen to move out of their NYU dorm and into Alec’s flat. She picked the box-labelled ‘ _school books’,_ groaning at the weight.

 

“Where can I put these?”

 

“Um. In the small room, second door after the kitchen,” Alec answered, pointing to the hallway, “It’s empty. You can use it as your office, if you want.”

 

“Sweet, thanks,” Lydia smiled as she walked out of the living room, dropping the box in front of the closed room, “And by the way,” she called as he she opened the door and pushed the box in with her foot, “Izzy volunteered to help plan the wedding.”

 

“Of course she did,” she snorted as she heard Alec mutter, “Need I remind you we’ve got midterms in December?” he added louder.

 

Coughing into her elbow, Lydia walked back into the living room and sat on the armchair, pulling on her long sleeves. She brought her legs to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her head on her knees, watching as Alec sorted through her boxes. Her sudden sneezing made him look up at her.

 

“Bless you,” he immediately said, before frowning in concern, “Did you take your medicine?”

 

“Yes _dear_ ,” Lydia rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her hair before wiping her nose with her sleeve, “Yes, I know our midterms are in December. Which is why we need to get to it right away.”

 

“Yeah,” Alec muttered, rubbing the back of his neck before patting down his hair.

 

She smiled and threw a cushion at him, snickering as it collided with the side of his head. Alec shot her a fake glare before sitting down on the couch next to her.

 

“Don’t worry your pretty head over it, Lightwood. We’ve got the easy part.”

 

“Yeah? Like what?” Alec asked, crossing her arms as he leaned back into the couch.

 

He frowned when Lydia grinned at him before getting up and walking it away. She came back a few minutes away, a cake box in her hands and two spoons with it. She dropped it on the coffee table before opening it, displaying a selection of cakes, pies and cupcakes.

 

“Like cake-tasting,” Lydia replied, handing him a spoon as she sat down next to him.

 

“ _That_ is cool,” Alec said, leaning over the table to take a pastry, “Which one do you want?”

 

 

**LIGHTWOOD RESIDENCE**

**MANHATTAN,**

**NYC.**

**“** I don’t know any of these people,” Alec muttered, staring at the seating plan, “I’m getting married, there are over three hundred guests and I only know thirty of those people. There’s something seriously _wrong_ with this.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Max said, jumping on one of the stools, “I don’t know most of those people either.”

 

Alec chuckled and wrapped around his little brother’s shoulders, bringing him closer to him. Isabelle entered the living room, rolls of fabric pilled in her arms. Frowning, he went to her, grabbed a couple of them and dropped them on the couch behind him.

 

“ _Gracias,”_ Isabelle muttered, unceremoniously dropping the rolls to her feet. Pushing her hair back, she scrunched her nose at the plan on the table, “why are we focusing on this?”

 

“What should we be focusing on?” Alec retorted, frowning at her, “Mother has requested that I give her my approval for her seating before tomorrow.”

Isabelle groaned and rolled her eyes at him.

 

“ _Mother_ doesn’t care about your approval, whatever she say, goes. You don’t even care about this seating plan. No one does. However,” she took one of his hands, dragging him away from the table and to the couch, “ _this_ is an emergency.”

 

Alec stared at the piece of clothes on the couch, before looking back at his sister, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean you still haven’t decided on your wedding colours,” Isabelle explained, her hands on her hips, “Do you prefer white and gold? Or black and blue?”

 

Alec closed his eyes, restraining a groan. He felt a headache coming on. _I would prefer to be studying for my midterms,_ he inwardly thought, biting his tongue so the words wouldn’t leave his mouth. So far, Isabelle and Maryse had been planning his wedding without asking for his opinion and it had been relaxing, knowing that he could rely on both of them. But they were starting to include more and more in the planning, because _hey!_ it was **his** wedding after all.

 

Opening his eyes, Alec found Isabelle staring at him with impatience while Max was playing with the name cards on the table. Alec winced. He’ll deal with that later, hoping that his brother wouldn’t mess up their mother’s work. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and crossed his arms.

 

“I don’t know, I mean black and blue seemed kind of gloomy for a wedding,” Alec shrugged, swaying from side to side, “Gold and white is more fitting, I think. I mean, my tux jacket will be sort of gold and Lydia’s dress will be white. So, gold and white, I guess?”

 

He watched as Isabelle hummed and pursed her lips in thought, before giving him a nod and a satisfied smile.

 

“And I’ll match with my dress and the white and yellow tulips Mom, Lydia and I had agreed on,” she continued, nodding to herself, “It’ll be perfect.”

 

Alec narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head to the side as he watched her pick up the rolls of fabric.

 

“You already chose the colours, didn’t you?”

 

“Yep,” Isabelle grinned, half of her face hidden by the pile of rolls in her arms, “But Mom said I still needed your opinion before making any definite choices. Later, losers!” she said in a singsong voice before hopping out of the room.

****

Alec scoffed and shook his head before making his way back to Max, the latter still playing with the cards.

 

“Can you believe her?”

 

Without looking up from the table, the blonde shrugged a shoulder.

 

“Whatever she say, goes.”

 

Alec snorted.

 

“Yeah, that’s for sure.”

 

 

**DECEMBER 2005**

**ISABELLE’S FLAT**

**NYC.**

 

“This isn’t what I expected when you talked about planning my bachelorette party,” Lydia said, filing her nails.

 

When Isabelle had assured earlier that she would plan her the most awesome bachelorette party, Lydia had been – rightfully so – afraid. Knowing the younger woman, Isabelle would’ve book an entire night club and order shots until they’d end up dancing in their under wears on the bar counter. Imagine her surprise when she had entered Isabelle’s flat to find her dressed in fluffy pink pyjamas and sipping on champagne, straight from the bottle. Well, at least it seemed they weren’t skipping the ‘getting-drunk’ part. Blowing on her wet nails, Isabelle cocked an eyebrow at the blonde and smirked.

 

“There’s still time for me to call some strip-teasers, if you want.”

 

Lydia rolled her eyes at the brunette, threw her nail filer on the couch and grabbed the bottle of champagne from the coffee table.

 

“You can have a proper bachelorette party with your friends, if you want to,” Isabelle added before scrunching up her nose, her head tilted to the side, “Although, it’d be weird, because it would have to take place after your wedding.”

 

Lydia snorted and uncapped the bottle, taking a swing. Puffing her cheeks, she, then, let the alcohol flow down her throat. Handing the bottle to Isabelle, she leaned into the couch.

 

“I don’t have that many friends, anyway. I mean, beside Raj and you Lightwoods. I’m pretty sure you’re my only girl friend.”

 

“And that’s plenty enough,” Isabelle smiled, pointing the bottle at her before flipping her hair, “I mean, how could you do better than me?”

 

The blonde laughed as she batted her eyelashes at her, grinning mischievously. Isabelle slowly lost her smile, tucked her hair behind her ear and cleared her throat, closing the bottle.

 

“Hey, can I ask you a question?”

 

Lydia frowned her eyebrows at her and crossed her arms.

 

“Suuure,” she drawled out, her tone suspicious.

 

“Why did you agree to marry Alec? I mean, I know my brother’s reasons, the family’s honour, the right thing to do and all that shit, but I never asked yours.”

 

Lydia let out a humorless laugh and shook her head at Isabelle.

 

“That’s why you got me drunk, huh?”

 

Isabelle shrugged a shoulder, earning a small smile from the blonde. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair.

 

“There was that… _guy,”_ she rolled her eyes when Isabelle leaned forward, her brown eyes shining with curiosity, “We met through Raj, during our first year of college and all three of us became friends. And eventually, my friendship with this guy evolved into something deeper, and we fell in love. Cliché, I know. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t as fond of him as I was,” Lydia winced, as if she was remembering something, “They had their reasons, though. He wasn’t the best influence and, according to them, he wasn’t worthy of me. Obviously, we both disagreed. So, when my parents began pressuring him to leave him, we decided to run away together.”

 

Feeling a lump forming in her throat, Lydia cleared her throat and shook her head. Her sudden discomfort didn’t go unnoticed by Isabelle.

 

“And what happened after?” she asked in a quiet voice.

 

“We were stopped before we could leave the city. My parents had called the cops on us saying that he had kidnapped me and was manipulating me, profiting of ‘my weak state of mind and need of love’,” Lydia said, making air-quotes with her fingers, “They only agreed to drop the charges against him if he left New York and, by doing so, left me. Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t agreed to their terms.”

 

“Yikes,” Isabelle muttered, “Talk about a tragic love story.”

 

With a snort, Lydia shrugged a shoulder in a ‘ _what can you do’_ way and rubbed the back of her neck, slightly unnerved by Isabelle’s stare. Noticing it, the brunette turned back to the bottle of champagne and turned it over. With an over dramatic sigh and pout, Isabelle got up from the couch.

 

“We’re out of champagne,” she slipped on her bunny slippers, “I’m going to make us popcorn and look for some wine.”

 

“ _Yes,_ wine!” Lydia fist-pumped the air, happy to move on from her ‘tragic love story’.

 

Isabelle giggled before walking to the living room-connected-kitchen with the empty bottle of champagne. The blonde got up from the couch and followed her, sitting at the counter.

 

“What do you think the guys are doing right now?”

 

As she filled wine glasses with Bordeaux, Isabelle smirked before handing on of the glass and shoving a packet of popcorn in the microwave. Taking her own glass, she leaned against the sink.

 

“Jace is probably dragging them to bars and striptease clubs.”

 

At the blonde’s raised eyebrows, Isabelle snorted, almost choking on her wine.

 

“Max’s with them, they’re probably playing videogames right now.”

 

Lydia rolled her eyes, letting out a small snicker. As she watched the younger woman pour the hot popcorn into a plastic bowl, she felt a smile tug at her lips. Rubbing the rim of her glass with the tip of her finger, Lydia tilted her head to the side.

 

“Hey, Izzy?”

 

Without looking up from the bowl, she hummed.

 

“Thank you. You know,” Lydia added after seeing her confused frown, “For tonight. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better bachelorette party.”

 

With a wide grin, Isabelle gave her a small nod.

 

“Of course. Only the best for my family.

 

**ALEC AND LYDIA’S FLAT,**

**NEW YORK CITY,**

**NY.**

They did it.

 

They had gotten married. _Officially._ Lydia had walked down the aisle at the arm of her father, looking beautiful in a light gold dress. Alec had watched in dread – and a bit of awe – as she got closer. He had smiled back when she had shot him a small, shaky smile. Jace, standing by his side, would exchange glances with Isabelle before patting him on the back and muttering reassuring things to him.

 

After exchanging rings and a chaste kiss, they had been declared husband and wife by the priest his mother had chosen. Had followed the ceremony, where the newly weds had been hugged, congratulated and blessed by each family. He had been unsure of what to do when Maryse cradled his face in her hands, her eyes glistening with unleashed tears. Alec had restrained a grimace when people had gushed about their good looks and how their children would be gorgeous. Thankfully, Lydia had excused themselves before returning to their table. Overall, it hadn’t been as worse as Alec thought so. Still, he wasn’t happy it was all over with.

 

Here he was now, lying on his and Lydia’s bed, playing with his tie and staring in distaste at the flower petals that had been spread on the mattress earlier, and the candles burning around him. Well, someone had been busy trying to create _The Mood_. With an eye roll, Alec propped himself on his elbows, blew the candles on the night table and shook off the sheets, getting rid of the petals.

 

Lydia got out of the room, restraining a yawn while she took the pins of her hair. With a frown, Alec noticed that she had exchanged her wedding dress for a large white shirt that stopped below her knees. He was pretty sure the shirt was his. The blonde looked up, meeting his confused gaze, and frowned.

 

“The bathroom is free, if you need it.”

 

Alec sat up, stretching his arms over his head as he did so.

 

“Thanks,” he muttered, rubbing his face with both of his hands. Sighing, he pulled on his tie.

 

Lydia sat down next to him, tugging her leg under her, and shot him a small smile.

 

“Hey,”

 

“Hey yourself,” Alec greeted, returning the smile, “What’s up?”

 

She snorted and began to pass her combs through her braids, wincing when she tugged on knots.

 

“I got married today,” Lydia whispered, earning an eye roll from Alec.

 

“Did you _really_? What’s your new husband like?”

 

The blonde sighed, her elbow on his shoulder and shrugged, her nose scrunched up.

 

“Eh, he’s alright. Easy on the eyes.”

 

Alec spluttered, his eyes wide-opened as he turned to look at Lydia, the latter chuckling. He pushed her elbow off of him and brushed his shoulder, which made the blonde laugh harder. Shaking his head at her, Alec bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing, ignoring Lydia as she leaned against him. She fist-pumped when she heard a few chuckles escape his lips. Pursing her lips, Lydia tried to control her laughter, fanning herself with a hand.

 

“Oh my God!” She let out a long breath, running her fingers through her tangled hair, and slapped Alec’s arm, “ _Oh my god,_ we got married.”

 

“Yeah, we did,” he nodded, amused by Lydia’s behaviour, and sighed, “What now?”

 

Frowning, the blonde lifted her head off his shoulder.

 

“We are going on our…. Honeymoon?”

 

Alec sighed again, ran his fingers through his hair before pulling off his tie.

 

“No, I mean- We’re officially married now, our parents seemed to proud of us, everyone is happy and _blablabla_ … But what comes next? People are going to expect more for us. They’re expecting us to form a _family_. I mean, your grandmother’s pretty sure you’re already expecting her first great-grand children. And I mean, no offence, but _where_ did the idea that I got you pregnant come from _?”_

“Right, we know I’m not exactly your style of partner,” Lydia agreed, nodding. At Alec’s frown, she snorted and rolled her eyes, “I’m not stupid, Lightwood. We both know that you prefer wieners to pussies.”

 

He burst out laughing at the comparison, rolling his eyes at her when she waggled her eyebrows at him.

 

“Well, that’s a way to put it!” Alec said, earning a small giggle from the blonde.

 

“Okay, listen,” Lydia grabbed his hand, “We knew what we were getting into once we agreed to this arrangement. Just don’t worry too much about, we’ll figure everything along the way. Beside, this is the 21st century: we don’t need to do the _do_ to have a child.

 

Alec cocked an eyebrow at her.

 

“I don’t know if it’s the sleep-depravation, alcohol talking or if it’s just Jace’s influence,” he muttered.

 

Lydia giggled, burying her nose in his neck. With a small smile, Alec wrapped his arms around, rubbing her back.

 

“You know what we should worry about, though?” she mumbled against his neck. Alec hummed, “About what we’re going to do when we’ll arrive in Cairo,” Pulling back at his snort, she smiled and held out her pinkie, “Let’s worry about the now, one step at a time.”

 

“One step at a time,” Alec agreed, hooking his pinkie around hers.

 

He knew he wasn’t going to fall in love with Lydia, no matter how hard he tried. But as he watched the blonde lean against him, her arms wrapped his waist, Alec felt his heart soar with the love he already felt for the small, feisty blonde.

 

* * *

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for reading. Don't forget to leave a comment/kudos. Cheers !


	3. hold to me as we go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What do you mean ‘Lydia’s pregnant’?!”
> 
> “Surely you know what being pregnant means.”
> 
> “Wait, how did she get pregnant if you two didn’t do the nasty? That’s what I don’t get.”
> 
> “There are other ways for a person to get pregnant, Jace,” Alec deadpanned, cocking an eyebrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ! Again, thank you for the amazing feedback, it means a lot. Here's the third chapter in this installment. Hope you'll like. 
> 
> The title of the chapter is from Phillip Phillips' song, "Home".

 

****

**MARCH 2006 – TWO MONTHS PREGNANT**

 

“What do you mean ‘ _Lydia’s pregnant’_?!”

 

Alec had to stop himself from covering his ears, protecting them from Isabelle’s shrieking. He couldn’t but wince, though. Noticing it, Lydia gave his hand a small squeeze. Behind his younger sister, Jace was pacing up and down the room, his arms crossed firmly against his chest and his void of any emotion. Alec didn’t know why he had thought telling them the news first would’ve been a good idea. An impatient and irritated clear of throat made him turn back to Isabelle, the latter staring at him with her hands on her hips. Alec took a calming breath.

 

“Surely you know what being pregnant means.”

 

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at him, making back in the couch, and raised a hand.

 

“Do not patronize me, Alec,” she hissed.

 

She, then, scoffed and shook her head before beginning to pace the floor. Jace stopped his marching and turned to the couple, his eyebrows frowned.

 

“Wait, how did she get pregnant if you two didn’t do the nasty? That’s what I don’t get.”

 

“There are other ways for a person to get pregnant, Jace,” Alec deadpanned, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah, like what? You mean to tell me Lydia is the next Virgin Mary?” Jace scoffed.

 

Alec rolled his eyes. Maybe he should’ve told Max first. While he would’ve been confused, the younger boy would’ve accepted any explanation Alec gave him. Beside Jace, Isabelle was still pacing, muttering things in Spanish and English. Pulling his hand away from Lydia’s, he rubbed his face.

 

“Ever heard of in-vitro conception, you morons?”

 

Isabelle stopped and turned to glare at her brother, quickly imitated by Jace. Both of them stayed quiet, though. Alec took it as his cue to keep speaking.

“Look, I know it’s weird and confusing and hard to wrap around, but we’re going to have a baby.”

 

Isabelle and Jace exchanged a look before relaxing a bit. The dark-haired woman sighed and went to sit next to Alec.

 

“Are you going to have a baby for yourselves? Or are you doing it just to make _them_ happy?

 

Alec turned to Lydia, earning a small nod from her. He, then, looked back at his sister and lifted a shoulder.

 

“Both, I guess.”

Isabelle let out a breath before giving a small nod and a small smile. Alec returned the smile before turning to Jace, the latter looked confused, sceptical. Lydia sighed, making everyone turn to her.

 

“Honestly, I thought you guys would’ve been happy for us.”

 

Alec couldn’t help but snort as Jace’ features immediately softened. He shook his head when Isabelle threw him a confused look and watched as the blonde walked toward Lydia, taking one of her hands in his.

 

“We _are_ , it’s just-“

 

“Confusing, I know,” Lydia giggled, getting to up to her feet.

 

Jace grinned and enveloped in a hug, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

 

“Congratulations, Ms Lightwood,” he whispered, “you’re going to be an amazing mother.”

 

Lydia leaned back to smile at him, pecking his cheek. He pulled back and went to Alec, holding out a hand.

 

“As for you,” Jace slapped his hand in his before pulling him up and into a tight embrace, “I’ve got no doubt you’ll make a fantastic father.”

 

With a grin, Alec patted his back and watched, over the blonde’s shoulder, Isabelle get up and wrap Lydia in her arms, beaming. She, then, let go of her and walked toward the pair of brothers, pushing Jace away so she could take his place. Alec had to bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing at the blonde’s disgruntled expression. He wrapped his arms around Isabelle’s waist, hoping it would stop her jumping up and down.

 

“Of course, he’s going to be the most fantastic father,” Pulling back, she took his face in her hands and squeezed his cheeks, “and if it’s a girl, I expect her to be named after her amazing aunt. _Entiende_ _s_?”

 

Alec could nothing but nod, ignoring the traitorous snickering of his wife and his brother. Isabelle smiled sweetly and patted his cheeks.

 

“Good.”

 

**MAY 2006 – FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT**

Lydia came to stand in front of Alec and twirled, showing off her dress. Her _fifth_ dress. After she stopped her spinning, the blonde put her hands on her hips and smiled.

 

“So, what do you think of this one?”

 

“That’s the one,” Alec deadpanned, his eyes stuck on the screen of his phone.

 

Rolling her eyes, Lydia snatched the device out of his hands and, ignoring his yelping, threw it on the coffee table. His eyes wide-opened, he looked up at her.

 

“What the hell was that for?”

 

“You’re not even looking,” Lydia whined, stomping her feet.

 

With a sigh, Alec leaned back in the couch and closed his eyes.

 

“Lydia, it’s the fifth dress you try on. I don’t even know why you had to try four other dresses; the first one was fine.”

 

Lydia pouted and turned to the mirror. Tilting her head to the side, she pulled on the hem of the red dress she was wearing, it had long-laced sleeves and stopped a little bit above her knees. She grimaced at the tightness of it, pulling on it so it wouldn’t stick to her skin, in vain. The dress still looked like it would explode at any moment and her breasts looked like they were suffocating. With a defeated sigh, Lydia turned back to Alec, the latter bad somehow taken back his phone.

 

“Don’t you think my boobs look bigger?”

 

Alec snorted and looked up at her, lifting an eyebrow.

 

“I’m the wrong person to ask, Lyds,” he threw the phone beside him and winked at her, “If they did, be sure that either Jace or Isabelle will remark on it.”

 

Lydia sighed again and let herself Jace beside him, her arms crossed over her chest. She let her hands slide onto her stomach, caressing the small bump, oblivious to Alec’s staring.

 

“I look fat too,” Lydia muttered, frowning.

 

“It’s part of the pregnancy,” Alec retorted, placing an arm behind the back of the couch. At Lydia’s narrowed her eyes at him, “Not that you’re fat,” he quickly added, “I just mean that you’re showing, which is… normal.”

 

The corner of her lips quirked up and her shoulders were shaking with repressed laughter. Lydia nudged her shoulder with his, assuring Alec that she wasn’t mad.

 

“Chill, Lightwood. It’s fine.”

 

She watched in amusement as he nodded and let out a sigh of relief. She noticed as his eyes lingered on her body. More particularly, on her round belly. With a small smile, Lydia took one of his hands in hers and went to put it on her stomach. Alec jerked his hand back, curling it into a fist. Lydia let out a disbelieved laugh but didn’t insist. Putting back both of her hands on her belly, she tilted her head to the side, trying to catch Alec’s eye.

 

“You can touch it if you want to,” Lydia suggested her voice soft, “I mean, strangers always touch it without asking my permission, Izzy drapes herself over me each time she sees me, babbling in Spanish at my stomach,” she grinned when she noticed the corner of his lips lift up, “You’re the father, you don’t need my authorization to touch it.”

 

“Won’t I hurt it?”

 

Lydia rolled her eyes, took his hand and slowly unclenched his fingers, giving him the time to slip his hand out of her hold. He didn’t. With a smile, she laid it down on her stomach, covering it with her hand. Alec’s eyes widened as he felt the baby move underneath his hand.

 

“Looks like someone’s one waking up,” Lydia tried to hide a wince.

 

“Does it hurt?” he asked, rubbing circles on her stomach.

 

“It’s just a little uncomfortable,” Lydia replied, shifting on the couch. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back, “But that feels good,” she sighed as Alec continued to rub circles on her stomach.

 

He watched with a fond smile as she let herself relax, moving his up and down. He stopped for a minute and tapped her on the knee.

 

“Alright, Branwell. Don’t expect me to massage your feet, next. We’re supposed to be at a party.”

 

Lydia didn’t bother to tell him that they _were_ late to a party they were supposed to be hours ago. After all, she was the reason they were late to said party. With her eyes still closed, she pouted.

 

“What the point of having a baby daddy if I can’t use him to give me massages and buy me food?”

 

Alec snorted and stood up, ignoring Lydia’s whine as his hand left her belly. He went to stand up in front of her and held out two hands.

 

“Come on, Baby Mama. Hopefully, there’ll still be food when we get there.”

 

At the mention of food, Lydia cracked an eye and let out a loud sigh, taking both of his hands and groaning as Alec hissed her up on her feet. He frowned in concern, but she waved him off, placing both her hands on her waist. She flinched as she felt a kick.

 

“Oh, baby foetus is getting hungry, too.”

 

“ _’Baby foetus’_?” Alec cocked an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

 

“Shut up, _idiota_ _._ ” She muttered, rolling her eyes, _“_ Now, I was promised food.”

 

Alec returned the eye roll and knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her stomach.

 

“Okay, little guy. I know that both of you and your mother are getting hungry. If you could wait a few more minutes without bothering your mother, that would be great.”

 

Sure enough, Lydia felt the alien living in her belly settle down after a few seconds. She scoffed.

 

“Of course the baby foetus listens to you. And _little guy?_ ”

 

“It’s better than _‘baby foetus’._ ”

 

“Whatever. Can we go before I decide to change again?”

 

**JUNE 2006, 5 MONTHS PREGNANT.**

 

“Alexandra.”

 

Alec threw her a look over his notes, his eyes wide-opened in disbelief. Lydia looked back at him with an innocent smile, her hands resting on her stomach.

 

“You want to name our daughter _Alexandra_?” He repeated, making sure he had heard right the first time.

 

“Sure, why not?” She retorted, lifting a shoulder, “What’s wrong with being named after her father? After all, it’s a great name for a _great_ man.”

 

Alec faked a laugh, rolling her eyes at Lydia as she giggled at her own bad puns. Shuffling his cue cards, he leaned back into the couch.

 

“Put it on the _Last Resort_ list. Define limited liability.

 

Frowning her eyebrows and pursing her lips in thought, Lydia sat up and scratched her head with the end of her pencil.

 

“Limited Liability is the… Maximum amount of a person participating in a business can lose or be charged in case of claims against the company or its bankruptcy. For example, a stockholder in a corporation can only lose his or her investment, same with a limited partner. However, a general partner can be responsible for all the debts of the partnerships.”

 

“Right on,” Alec nodded with a small smile, throwing the card away. “Alright, how about Margaret?”

 

Lydia mimed throwing up, ignoring the glare Alec threw his way.

 

“How about Mabel, when we’re at it?” She shook her head and scrunched up her nose, scribbling on her notebook, “I’m putting it in the _No-No_ list. Real estate investment trust.

 

“An organization which finds investors and buys real property and gives each investor either a percentage interest in the property itself or an interest in a loan secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on the property,” Alec recited without missing a beat.

 

He beamed when Lydia gave him a thumb-up without looking up from notes. Tucking her pencil behind her ear, she propped her head on her hands.

 

“How do you feel about Jonathan?”

 

“Like Jace might think we’re naming our child after him,” Alec replied, running his fingers through his hair, “His ego doesn’t need that. Trust me.” `

 

“So, _No-No_ list?”

 

“Hum… Put it in the _Middle Name_ list,” he cleared his throat, “talk to me about mediation.”

 

“The attempt to settle a legal dispute through active participation of a third party – a mediator – who works to find points of agreement and make those in conflict agree on a fair result.”

 

Alec nodded, indicating that she got it right. Throwing the card away, he crossed his ankles and arms and turned his head to Lydia, his brow furrowed in thought.

 

“What about Leo?”

 

“Leo…” Lydia repeated, as if testing it, before smiling and giving a small nod,” I like it. Leo… Henry… Lightwood, it sounds nice,” she whispered to herself.

 

Alec frowned and dipped his head to the side.

 

“Where does the _Henry_ come from?”

 

“Oh,” Lydia said, as if realizing she had been taking aloud, and shrugged, “It was my grandfather’s name. I just thought it fit. We don’t have to use it if you don’t-“

 

“No, I like it,” Alec interrupted her, a small smile on his face, “Leo Henry Lightwood. It has a nice ring to it. I like it.”

 

Lydia smiled softly at him before clearing her throat and looking back at her notes.

 

“Alright, define shareholder.

 

**AUGUST 2006, SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT.**

“What about this one?”

 

Alec looked up from his book, scowling at the blonde as Lydia discreetly nodded toward a guy standing at the counter. Using his finger as a bookmark, he closed his book and followed her gaze. Sure, the guy looked cute and if Alec hadn’t a pregnant wife and wasn’t pretending to be straight, he would consider it. Instead, he stared back at Lydia and cocked an eyebrow.

 

“No, thank you.”

 

He returned to his reading, much to Lydia’s disappointment and Raj’s amusement. The latter took a sip of his drink, trying to cover his smirk as he watched the blonde pout and cross her arms.

 

“If that’s what you married couples do on your week ends, I think I’ll pass”, Raj said.

 

He smirked when he heard Alec snort, shrugging when Lydia turned to glare at him. Undeterred by it, he added:

 

“No, I mean, seriously. Are you looking for a guy he can cheat on you with?”

 

Over her shoulder, Raj could see Alec lift his head out of his book and mouth _‘hormones’_ while indicating that she was crazy. With an humph, Lydia turned back to her husband and snatched the book out his hands, ignoring his protests as she threw it at Raj.

 

“Oh please, we all know Ophelia kills herself at the end-” she rolled her eyes.

 

 _“Spoilers!”_ Raj gasped dramatically, covering his ears

 

“You’re not even looking at the products I’m selecting for you,” Lydia continued, ignoring her friend.

 

 _“ ‘Products’_?” Alec scoffed while the other man snickered, “You know how to make a guy feel nice about himself.”

 

The blonde rolled her eyes, stuffed Alec’s book in her bag, ignoring his pout as she did so, and downed the rest of her tea before jumping out of her seat.

 

“Alright, I’m going to pee. Don’t touch my bag, I’ll know if you did. And when I’ll get back, I better have a fresh cup of tea and a blueberry muffin,” Lydia said, sending each men a warning look as she smoothed her dress and walked away.

 

She didn’t need to turn around to know that Alec was already searching through her bag. Rolling her eyes, she chuckled to herself and turned her hand, smirking as she saw her - awfully predictable – husband thumbing through his book. Unfortunately, her not paying attention to where she was going resulted in her colliding into a person and having a person dumping her – cold, thank god – drink all over her.

 

“Oh God!” The person – a guy with an accent she couldn’t place – exclaimed before forcing napkins into her hands, “Oh, God! I’m _so_ sorry, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry” she sighed before dapping the napkins on the top of her dress, grimacing in disgust at the smell of cold coffee, “It was my fault, anyway.”

 

At the stranger’s silent, Lydia frowned and looked up to meet a familiar green pair of eyes. Who, wide-opened, were staring back at her. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

 

“ _John._ ”

 

*

 

As soon as Lydia had walked away, Alec reached into her bag and took his book out of it, ignoring Raj’s amused look. With a satisfied sigh, he leaned back into his chair, propping his feet up on Lydia’s empty chair. Raj shook his head out him before looking down at his phone. When had he become bored enough to hang out with a married couple on his weekends, he didn’t know. He didn’t even know when Alec had become one of his closest friends. Lastly, hanging with Lydia had meant hanging with her husband.

 

A loud gasp made him look up and wince at the sight of Lydia colliding into someone. With a frown, Alec took his nose out of his book to throw him a look. Raj pointed behind his shoulder, prompting him to look back and grimace.

 

“Oh, yeah. Would it be rude if I laughed?”

 

“It’s your life,” Raj shrugged, frowning at the discussing pair, “laugh at your own expense. Why does this guy look so- _Oh._ ” He straightened in his chair as he recognized the man Lydia was talking to.

 

“What?” Alec asked, his frown deepening, “What is it? Who’s the guy she’s taking to?”

 

Taking off his beanie, Raj sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before putting it back on.

 

“Only the reason why Lydia agreed to marry you. The one and only John Monteverde.”

 

*

 

Lydia couldn’t help but stare at John, the latter smiling sheepishly at her. His brown hair was shorter than she remembered and his scruff had been shaved, making him look younger. She frowned when he gently grabbed her arm. Shaking herself out of her trance, Lydia blinked at him.

 

“I’m sorry, you were saying?”

 

Letting a small chuckle, he squeezed her arm before he let go, running his fingers through his hair.

 

“I was just saying that you look good… If you ignore the stain of coffee on your dress.”

 

“Oh,” her hands went to her stomach, rubbing it. From the corner of her eyes, she saw John’s eyes follow the gesture, “Thanks, you too,” she smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear, “How was Portugal?”

 

With a sigh, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels.

 

“It’s been great, didn’t have any people to influence my choices. I’ve had some time to myself, which I think I needed.”

 

Smiling fondly at him, Lydia tilted her head to the side and gave him a small nod.

 

“Good for you.”

 

As she tried to continue her way to the bathroom, John stepped to the side, blocking her way. Noticing her frown, he shot her a small smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Listen, Lydia-“ He cleared his throat, “-Raj told me about the wedding. It’s not his fault,” he quickly added when he noticed her send a look at Raj above her shoulder, “It’s not his fault. I’ve been asking him about you. And I know, you’ve moved on,” his gaze darted to her round stomach, “And I just wanted to- wanted to-“, he cleared his throat again and plastered a smile on his face, “I’m coming back to live in New York and wanted to know if we could be… friends.”

 

Letting a breath she didn’t know she was holding, Lydia grinned at him and took his head, intertwining their fingers.

“I wouldn’t want anything else.”

 

His smile broadened as he gave her hand a squeeze. She noticed as his gaze darted over her shoulders. Following his look, she snorted as Alec and Raj pretended not to watch them. Turning back to John, she pulled on his hand.

 

“Do you want to go meet him?” At his hesitation, she rolled his eyes and kept on pulling his hand, “Come on, _Ra_ j gave him his blessing. If he can get along with him, anyone can.”

 

John gave a small chuckle at the small jab, nibbling his bottom lip.

 

“Yeah sure, why not?” He shrugged.

 

Grinning, Lydia turned back and pulled him to their table, where her two idiots were still pretending they hadn’t been staring at them a few seconds away. She cleared her throat, swallowing a snicker when both Alec and Raj looked up to her.

 

“Alec, I’d like to meet my… friend, John Monteverde. John Monteverde, meet Alec Lightwood, my husband.”

 

Ignoring Raj’s raise of eyebrows, Lydia watched as Alec got up and went to shake his hand, a small smile on his face. As she watched the pair of boys interact, she sat back next to Raj. Crossing his arms, he threw her a look and mouthed _‘friend._ Lydia shrugged a shoulder and grabbed Alec’s cup of coffee. She’d have to hold her pee until she was sure they wouldn’t exchange blows.

 

 

**SEPTEMBER 2006, EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT.**

Lydia watched as raindrops clashed against the window, her head resting against it as her fingers rubbed circles onto her stomach. She was aware of Alec throwing glances at her every ten seconds before he returned it to the road. His fingers were drumming against the wheel, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand. Crossing her arms, Lydia turned her head to him and frowned, watching him through narrowed eyes.

 

“Okay, what’s wrong with you?”

 

Alec hummed, lifting an eyebrow as he scratched his chin. He stopped at a red light and turned his head to look at her.

 

“Nothing. Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, obviously there _is_ something wrong with you,” Lydia insisted, “You’re nervous about something.”

 

He sighed and turned back to the road, rubbing his leg with one hand. Tilting her head to the side, she grabbed it and intertwined their fingers together.

 

“Are you nervous about the check-up?” Lydia smiled softly as she noticed his jaw clench, “ _Alec,_ this isn’t our first check-up.”

 

“ _Exactly!_ It’s our last check-up. It makes it more real. We’re getting closer to the due date, how are you not nervous?”

 

Giving his hand a small squeeze, she let it go and leaned into her chair.

 

“I _am_ nervous, but the alien blob pressing against my bladder is distracting me from anything else.”

 

Her smile widened when Alec let out a small laugh, his hold around the wheel loosening. He threw her a small look from the corner of his eye.

 

“We’re almost there, don’t worry.”

 

Lydia hummed and leaned further into her chair, trying to make herself comfortable. She closed her eyes, the sound of raindrops against the roof soothing, and tried not to wince loudly at the baby’s kicking. Opening her eyes, she frowned as the rain became falling harder. She could barely see outside. Beside her, Alec activated the windshield wipers – front and rear – and leaned forward, watching the road through narrowed eyes.

 

“Damn, it’s pouring cats and dogs. It’s crazy,” he muttered, turning on his front lights.

 

“Yeah,” Lydia imitated Alec’s posture, still frowning.

 

Her confusion deepened when she noticed the bright lights flashing back at them. Was a car driving toward them? Her eyes widened as she realized there was, indeed, a car driving toward them.

 

“ _ALEC, WATCH OUT-“_

 

*

 

Lydia woke up with a gasp and a headache. She slowly opened her eyes, bringing a hand to her head, and groaned. She frowned as she felt something wet against her hand. Bringing it back in front of her, Lydia whimpered at the red liquid covering her entire hand. She was bleeding. _Why_ was she bleeding? She slowly lifted her head, wincing at her aching neck, and took a look around, trying to find clues. She froze when her gaze settled on Alec’s prone form. The latter had a gash on his forehead, his left leg was bent in a weird angle and his entire body was pressed forward onto the dash. That was when she noticed they were in a car.

 

 _They had been in a crash_ , Lydia realized. They had been on their way to the hospital when another car had rammed into theirs and sent them flying off the road. The hospital. The blonde’s hands flew to her stomach, frantically searching for wounds and releasing a sigh of relief when she found none. Lydia turned back to Alec, who was unconscious, and reached for his wrist. Ignoring the ache in her arm, she wrapped two fingers around it and let out a breath when she felt his pulse throbbing against her fingers.

 

Stomach cramps forced her to lean back into her chair and let out a painful gasp. It passed after a few seconds, allowing Lydia to unbuckle herself. Another violent cramp made the blonde bend over, gritting her teeth in pain. She cursed, gasping again she felt a cold liquid running down her legs.

 

“Oh my god, this better not be what I think it is,” Lydia whispered, holding onto her stomach.

 

Trying to ignore the contractions, she rammed her shoulder into the door, hoping to get it to open. When it didn’t give in, Lydia started attacking the cracked window, uncaring of the glass that tore though her skin. Making a hole big enough, she passed her arm through it and went to reach the handle. Lydia could’ve weep in joy as she heard the small ‘ _click’_ indicating the door had opened.

 

She was soaked through the bone as soon as she got out of the car. Lydia had to lean against the car to stay upright. Gritting her teeth in pain, she slowly walked around the car to the driver’s side. She forced the door opened and reached over Alec’s unconscious form to unbuckle his seatbelt. It took several tries for it to unbuckle. Lydia fell to her knees as she caught his sliding body out of the car, groaning. Cradling his head to her chest, Lydia took a long breath and looked up, blinking away unleashed tears. Resting her cheek on the top of his head, she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

 

“It’s going to be okay, I got you,” she choked out, a lone tear rolling down her cheeks. Swallowing a sob, she began rocking back and forth, “We’re going to be okay.”

 

Lydia lifted her head and looked around themselves, looking for a passing car and a lost person. The road was strangely empty, much to her despair. She took a deep breath and became yelling, her screams swallowed by the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry...? thank you for reading and please take the time to leave a comment below ! I'll appreciate it and I'll be forever your friend :) 
> 
> Bye-bye.
> 
> Come stalk/talk with me on tumblr, @you-can-do-zat.


	4. The Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had to restrain herself from flinching when she turned to look at her. Isabelle’s usually mischievous eyes shone with unleashed tears. Maureen didn’t remember ever seeing her friend cry. She had seen her angry, disappointed, hurt. Maureen never would’ve thought Isabelle Lightwood could look so helpless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive, bitches ! I shouldn't cuss at you, you're so nice to me ! Anyway, thank you, thank you for the kind comments, the kudos and the bookmarks. Overall, thank you for this amazing feedback, you're awesome and I love each and every one of you.  
> Without further ado, here's the fourth chapter of 'The Tall Lawyer, The Sparkly Teacher (And Everything in Between)

**Bellevue Hospital Center,**   
**New York, NY.**   
**2006**

Isabelle yawned as she dropped her medical chart at the nurse station. Her year of internship was coming to an end and she certainly had felt each of her shifts pass. She wasn’t even a real doctor and she felt ready to give it all up. But, then, she remembered the large sums spent on her studies, the nights she spent working and the satisfaction she felt whenever she managed to leave people speechless with her medical knowledge. Isabelle was looking forward to being able to soon introduce herself as Dr Isabelle Lightwood. She also dreaded the long nights and gruelling cases she was going to be confronted with.

Stiffening a groan, Isabelle signed the medical chart and handed it to a nurse, leaning against the nurse station. She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to shake herself. Maureen walked toward her, a jump in her step and a smile on her face, hip checking her. Ignoring the glare Isabelle threw her way, Maureen tightened her ponytail and dropped her chart on the desk, humming softly to herself. With a groan, Isabelle let her hands fall in her hands.

“Damn, Lightwood. You look like hell.”

Without lifting her head, Isabelle gave her the finger, much to Maureen’s amusement. Cooing, she rubbed Isabelle’s back, giving the back of her neck a squeeze. Shooting a look at the clock, she let out a breath and clapped her hands, startling the other woman.

“Come on, Iz. I’m treating you to an early dinner and some coffee.”

Maureen rolled her eyes when Isabelle groaned again. Looping her arm through hers, she dragged her away from the nurse station, smiling softly when the dark haired woman rested her head on her shoulder.

“How are you so awake?”

“An unhealthy mix of Red Bull and caffeine usually does the trick,” Maureen retorted, her head tilted to the side.

Isabelle snorted, lifted her head from Maureen’s shoulders and squeezed her arm.

“Teach me your ways, sensei,” she teased, earning a soft chuckle from her friend.

All amusement died down when the doors were pushed open and E.M.Ts busted in, running alongside stretchers. Untangling herself from Isabelle, Maureen rushed to meet them, wincing at the state of the patient in front of her. His black hair was sticky with blood, a brace was wrapped around his neck and upper body. His right leg was bent to an awkward angle, obviously broken.

“Looks like we’ll have to wait for dinner,” she mumbled to herself before adding loudly, “what do we have, guys?”

“A young couple was involved in a car accident. Young man in his early twenties, found crushed between the driver seat and the dashboard. He was already unconscious when he found him and his right leg is messed up. Probably dislocated his knee.

“Alright, block 3 is free, Dr Starkweather will be waiting for you there. You mentioned a couple, though. Where’s the other person?” Maureen asked with a frown.

“She’s following us in another ambulance with the third party involved in the crash.”

She nodded before turning back to Isabelle.

“Hey, Izzy- I’m going in with-“ Maureen stopped herself when she noticed that the other woman hadn’t move of an inch since the arrival of the E.M.Ts, “Izzy, you okay?” she asked, resting a hand on her arm.

The gesture seemed to snap her out of her trance. Letting out a gasp, Isabelle watched the stretcher roll toward the elevators.

“That’s my brother,” she whispered to herself before beginning to run toward after the paramedics, “Oh my god, that’s my brother!”  
She stopped the stretcher and pushed away the E.M.T so she could take one of her brother’s hands in hers, searching for his pulse. She ignored his ice cold fingers and wrapped two fingers around his limp wrist, almost sobbing in relief when she felt a throbbing. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Isabelle pushed back a strand of hair.

“Alec? Alec, it’s Izzy. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand,” the giant hand of her brother remained completely still in hers. She restrained the urge to stomp her feet in irritation and petulance, “Alec, come on, squeeze my hand.

“Ma’am,” A paramedic wrapped a gentle hand around her arm, trying to pry away from the stretcher, “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step away. We need to bring him into surgery.”

Isabelle shook the head off, shaking her head.

“No, you don’t understand! He’s fine. It’s Alec, he was to be fine.”

“Izzy,” Maureen intervened, putting a hand on Isabelle’s.

She had to restrain herself from flinching when she turned to look at her. Isabelle’s usually mischievous eyes shone with unleashed tears. Maureen didn’t remember ever seeing her friend cry. She had seen her angry, disappointed, hurt. Maureen never would’ve thought Isabelle Lightwood could look so helpless.

Clearing her throat, Maureen slowly pulled her away from the stretchers, massaging her hand in hers. She watched as the paramedic quietly began to roll away.

“Izzy, you need to let them do their job.”

“But-“ Isabelle tried to pull her hand away but Maureen’s grip was stronger.

“Your brother is going to be fine, I promise. I’ll go with him, with you want,” Maureen proposed, letting out a sigh of relief when Isabelle gave her reluctant nod, “Plus, they’re going to need you here.”

Isabelle nodded again, watching with dread as Maureen ran toward the elevators. She let out a breath, adjusted her scrubs and ran her fingers through her hair before she put it in a tight bun and turned to the closed doors, readying herself mentally. As soon as the doors opened, Isabelle rushed to the E.M.Ts, the latter trying to placate the familiar blonde woman.

“Lydia!” Isabelle called as she walked alongside the stretcher, “Lydia, it’s Izzy, I need you to calm down.

Like Alec, her clothes were soaking wet and sticking to her, she had a gash on her forehead and her blonde hair stained with blood. As she scanned her body for other injuries, Isabelle noticed the white cloth wrapped around her right arm. Getting a lamp torch out of her breast pocket, the dark haired woman grabbed her face and forced her lids opened, shining the light into her eyes. She frowned when she noticed that a pupil was bigger than the other, letting go of her face. Lydia’s clear gaze stayed on her, though.

“Izzy,” she breathed out, “Izzy, you gotta help me-“ Lydia stopped herself, grabbing her stomach in pain and squeezing her eyes shut.

“Do you know her?” a paramedic asked, frowning.

“Yeah, she’s my sister-in-law,” Isabelle replied, grabbing one of Lydia’s hands and shooting her a small smile, “Hey, Lyds. It’s going to be okay. You need to let them help you-“

“No, you understand, I can’t- I can’t-“ Lydia sobbed, leaning back her head, “they can’t- it’s too early, they can’t-“

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Isabelle gently brushed her blonde hair away from her face, her voice soothing as she wiped tears away with her thumb. She plastered a smile on her face.

“It’s going to be fine, Lyds. I won’t let them hurt you. Either of you. I just need you to trust me, alright?”

Swallowing a sob, Lydia licked her dry lips and gave her a small nod. Isabelle returned the nod and leaned in, pecking her forehead before she let the paramedics rolled her away. Closing her eyes, the dark haired woman let out a shaky breath and pressed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her breathing. Reopening her eyes, she licked her dry lips and nodded to herself before making her way to the elevators. Only for her way to be blocked by Hodge Starkweather’s frame. Groaning, Isabelle looked up, unfazed by the glare her superior was sending her, and plastered a smile on her face.

“Excuse me,” she went to sidestep him but, once again, was blocked by Hodge, “I said _excuse_ me.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his head tilted to the side, ignoring her.

“Obviously, I’m going to do my job and scrub in for Alec’s surgery.”

“No, you’re not,” Hodge countered, his lips pursed.

“Yes, I am,” Isabelle retorted, her smile turning into a sneer.

“No, you’re not,” he repeated, his calm tone doing nothing but irritating her further.

Glaring, Isabelle pushed back him and went to make her toward the elevators, yelping when she felt someone roughly grab her arm and drag her away. Turning back to Hodge, she tried to pry his hand off, to no avail.

“ _Let. Go. Of. Me,_ ” she hissed through her teeth.

Once again, he ignored her – and the looks the received from other people – and pushed her into a break room before slamming the door behind him. Seeing that he hadn’t let go of her arm, Isabelle brushed back her hair and bit his hand. Hard.

“ **Ow**!” Hodge cried, flicking Isabelle’s forehead until she let go, “Are you insane?

The dark haired woman blinked at him and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, cocking an eyebrow. Hodge rolled his eyes and let go of her, taking out tissues to wipe his hand. When Isabelle made her way to the door, he shook his head and leaned against it. She restrained herself from stomping her foot and crossed her arms.

“Let me go.”

“I’m not letting you go anywhere until you calm down, Lightwood,” Hodge retorted, his eyes wide opened, “Do you realize what you just did?”

Her jaw clenched, Isabelle gave a shrug. Sighing, Hodge threw the used tissue in the trashcan and crossed his arms. With a defiant look, the younger woman mimicked his posture, much to his irritation.

“If you think I’m going to let your operate on your brother in that emotional state, you’re out of your mind.”

“I don’t see what you’re talking about, I’m perfectly calm,” she retorted, her tone flat but her eyes murderous, “Now, can we go? We’re wasting time over this shit.”

“You’re the only reason we’re ‘wasting time’, Izzy. Now-“ Hodge held out a hand when Isabelle opened her mouth to protest, “you’re going to listen to me. Right now, we ‘ve got a hysterical, confused pregnant woman who is in deny about being in labour. She doesn’t know where her husband is and the only person she actually knows and trusts here, is you.”

Her jaw clenched, Isabelle looked down, rubbing the back of her neck. Hodge’s stare softened as he let his arms fall to his side and let out a sigh. Running his fingers through her hair, he put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her when she jumped, startled.

“Do you trust me, Izzy?”

Looking up at him, she gave a small nod. His smile widening, he let his hand slid down her arm and gave her a squeeze.

“Good, because I promise you that your brother is going to be fine. Now, I need you to calm down, collect yourself and scrub in before joining Lydia. Can you do that?”

Isabelle took a deep breath before letting out and giving a nod, her eyes clear and her voice sure as she replied:

“I can do that.”

 

* * *

 

 

Taking a deep breath, Isabelle let go of the sink she was leaning on and looked up at her reflection in the dirty mirror. Gone was the scared and hysterical sister, she noticed as dark, confident eyes started back at her. Giving herself a nod, Isabelle quickly put up her hair in a tight bun, then slipped on her chirurgical cap and mask. Making sure that no strands slipped out, she then went to shrug on scrubs and cleaned her hands. Isabelle took another breath before she cracked her neck and pushed the doors opened, strolling into the Op. Room.

Only to be met by utter chaos. Lydia refused to stay still on the bed, trashing around, begging and crying for them to let her go. If she hadn’t a concussion, she would’ve been knocked out. Refusing to let the sight of an unhinged Lydia unsettle her, Isabelle elbowed her way through the crowd of nurses and doctors, ignoring the dirty looks she received in return.

“What the **_hell_ ** are you doing here, Lightwood?”

She didn’t pay attention to him and rushed to the blonde, squeezing her hand between hers. Isabelle ignored a nurse rushing to the wall phone and focused on her sister-in-law. Lydia’s head turned to her, her eyes widened in recognition as her gaze settled on her.

“Izzy,” she breathed out, a delirious smile on her face, “Izzy, help me.”

Looking up, Isabelle noticed the frown on the gynaecologist. Without a word, he looked back at the nurse next to the phone, the latter giving him a nod. Letting out a sigh, he glanced at the doctor facing him before looking down at Lydia.

“Mitchell, Lightwood’s going to take your place.”

“ _What?_ ” he spluttered, throwing a glare at Isabelle, the latter ignoring it, “Sir, she’s an intern.”

“And I’m your superior giving you an order. Lightwood!” He snapped, “Get her to calm down.”

“Yes, sir.”

The so-called Mitchell reluctantly took a couple of steps back, a scowl on his face. Isabelle didn’t spare him a glance as she went to stand in his place, Lydia’s glance following her as she moved across the room.

“Hey, Lyds. Remember what I told you earlier? I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

Breathing heavily, Lydia let herself being pushed back onto the cot, a frown on her face.

“I didn’t talk to you earlier,” she muttered, wincing as she felt a new wave of contractions.

Frowning, Isabelle restrained the urge to retort that yes, she had talked to her; what the fuck was she on? She grimaced when Lydia let out a cry and sat up, her hold around her hand painfully tightened. Restraining a groan, Isabelle pushed the blonde’s hair out of her eyes.

“Deep breathes, Lydia. Deep breathes,” Isabelle instructed, taking exaggerated breathes to demonstrate.

Rubbing her back comfortingly, Isabelle nodded when Lydia began to mimic her breathing. She shot a look at the midwife that was standing between the blonde’s spread legs. The latter returned her look and shook her head.

“She’s going to need to begin to push.”

Again, Isabelle nodded before turning back to Lydia, pulling down her mask so she could see her smile.

“Okay, hey Lydia. You’re going to need to push,” she repeated, rubbing her hand with her thumb.

“No, I can’t- **_I can’t-_** “ she began to shake her head, her gaze pleading.

“Yes, you can, babe. You need to push, for both yours and the baby’s sakes.”

“I’m not ready- the _baby_ ’s not ready,” Lydia sobbed, laying back down, “Please, don’t make me do this. I’m not ready.”

“ _Yes,_ you are, Lyds,” Isabelle assured, wiping her tears away, “And he is. Don’t worry, I’m right here and I’m not going to let anything happen to either of you. Alright?”

The blonde covered her face with her other hand and, after a few minutes of silence, Lydia gave her a small nod. Returning the nod, Isabelle gave her hand a squeeze before throwing a look at the midwife and clearing his throat.

“Alright, Lydia. On the count of three: one, two…”

The blonde let out a pained cry as she sat up, crushing her fingers in her hand. Ignoring her burning hand, Isabelle whispered soothing words into her ears as the midwife yelled encouragement to her. They had this routine a couple more times before wails broke the tension in the room. Isabelle watched in awe as nurses reached to the midwife, wrapping the newborn in blankets and towels after cutting off the umbilical cord.

“Oh my god, Lyds,” Isabelle gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth, “You did it.”

“I did?” she muttered, her eyes closing.

Squeezing her hand, Isabelle nodded. The midwife walked to her, a soft smile on her face and the bundle wrapped like a burrito in her arm.

“Would you like to hold him?”

“Can I?”

At the other woman’s nod, Isabelle immediately held out her arms, her eyes wide-opened as she watched her nephew squirm in discomfort. With a gasp, she carefully brought the newborn to her chest, caressing his cheek with one-gloved finger.

“Hey, _cariño_ , hey. _Yo soy tu tía, hola_. **Oh my god** , Lydia!” she repeated, squealing in delight this time as she looked back to the blonde, “Your son looks gorgeous.”

“I di- I di- I di,” Lydia choked out as her body began to shake.

Isabelle frowned as she took a couple of steps toward her, her hold tightening around the newborn. She forgot to breathe when she saw the red liquid leaking out of the blonde’s ear.

“…Lydia?”

Suddenly, all machines went berserk and Lydia began convulsing, making the newborn break into new wails. Isabelle was pushed back when surgeons rushed to the blonde’s side. She was too shocked to react when the crying newborn was snatched out of her arms. After being shoved one too many times and receiving glares, Isabelle stormed out of the room and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Letting out a choked sob, Isabelle slid down the wall and brought her knees to her chest.

“This isn’t happening,” she muttered, letting her head fall into her hands, “this _can’t_ be happening.”

 

* * *

 

Isabelle stayed quiet, her jaw clenched and her entire body still as Hodge addressed both of hers of Lydia’s family. She was aware of the older doctor’s sneaking glances at her while updating Jace and her parents about Alec’s situation. She was also aware of the rest of her family trying to catch her gaze. Still, Isabelle didn’t acknowledge either of them and let Hodge do most of the talking, mentally reviewing the entire bones found in a hand.

“Alec’s main injury has occurred to his spine. He was found pressed between his seat and the dashboard, which caused a swelling. Right now, we think that the paralysis might be from the waist down and temporary, we’ll have to wait for Alec to wake up to be sure. Other than that, he dislocated his right knee – which we aren’t worried about, it should be healing just fine – and suffered a mild concussion from the crash.”

From the corner of her eye, Isabelle could see her mother slowly nod as she processed the information, her hold tight around Robert’s hand. Jace ran his fingers through his already messy hair and cleared his throat, scratching his chin.

“Do you know when he’ll wake up?” he asked, his voice hoarse and his eyes pleading for a positive answer. Isabelle focused on her mental review of the human skeleton.

“We’ll have to wait for the anesthesia to wear out,” Hodge replied, crossing his arms, “But hopefully, he’ll be conscious in a couple of days.”

Jace nodded at him, rubbing the back of Maryse’s back as the latter let out a shaky breath and shot him a small smile, licking her lips. Rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, the older woman looked up and tried to compose herself.

“Um. What about the baby? Is the baby okay?” Maryse asked, her brow furrowed in concern, “Is the baby alright?”

Hodge smiled, looking relieved that he had finally some good news to deliver. Isabelle closed her eyes and inwardly revised the correct way to put a dislocated shoulder into its socket.

“You’ve got a perfectly healthy grandson,” his smile widened at Maryse’s sob of relief, “he’ll have to stay in the neonatal ward for a while, though.”

“And Lydia?”

Isabelle’s eyes snapped back open at the sound of Stephanie Branwell’s trembling voice. His smile vanishing, Hodge turned to the Branwells, the couple looking glum and emotionally drained. Hodge gaped at them, hesitant before he looked down at Isabelle, the latter working her jaw. She took it as her clue to take it from here. Clearing her throat, she clasped her hands behind her back and turned to the Branwells, trying not to flinch back as all stares focused on her.

“When Lydia came in, our main focus was the baby’s health and assuring ourselves that the delivery went well. The only brain trauma she was diagnosed with-“ that I was diagnosed, she added inwardly, “was a mild concussion. We noticed it was worst than we thought when she had a seizure a couple of minutes after giving birth.”

Stephanie choked down a sob, covering her mouth with her hand. Her husband – Martin Branwell – intertwined their fingers together, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he looked up to Isabelle.

“What caused the seizure?”

“From the bruise on the side of her face, we assumed she had a concussion. After her seizure, we quickly came to another diagnosis. Assuming from the seizure and her confusion, we think she might suffer from a subdural hematoma, which occurs when there is a collection of blood between the covering of the brain, the dura, and its surface. It forms when there’s a tear between-“

 **“Stop!”** Stephanie snapped, scowling at her, “Just stop talking about my daughter as if you were reviewing some textbook.”

Isabelle gaped at her before she pursed her lips and gave a nod, taking a few steps back behind Hodge and clasping her hands behind her back. The older doctor threw her a look before he turned back to the Branwells, clearing his throat.

“Like Isabelle said, we suspected Lydia suffered from major brain trauma, but we’ll still have to have her take a few more exams, so we can be sure. We’ve put Lydia under a drug-induced coma, hoping that the tear will mend itself, so we can properly treat it.”

“What are the chances that she’ll wake up on her own?”

 _Close to zer_ o, Isabelle thought, looking up at Hodge as the latter pondered on the answer he was going to give them. His jaw clenched, the blonde let out a sigh and shook his head.

“We don’t know.”

 

* * *

 

Jace found Isabelle in the neonatal ward, sitting next to their nephew’s incubator while singing softly. With a small smile, he quietly closed the door behind him and made his way to his sister, the latter oblivious to her brother’s presence.

“Hey,” Jace called.

Startled by the sudden voice, Isabelle relaxed when her gaze settled on Jace. Her lips twitched into a small smile.

“Hey yourself,” she whispered.

Jace couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Isabelle so still or quiet. It seriously freaked him out. Clearing his throat, he got a wrapped, club sandwich out of his pocket and handed it to the brunette, smirking at her frown.

“Maureen forced this into my hands earlier and ordered me to give it to you. She said you needed to eat something.”

This time, Isabelle’s smile was genuine as she took the food out of his hands.

“We’re not really supposed to bring food in here, but thanks.”

As Jace watched her stuff in her scrubs’ pocket, he knew that someone would have to remind her that she had to eat. And to sleep, if the dark circles under her eyes were anything to go by. He turned his gaze to the small bundle, smiling as his mismatched eyes met his nephew’s hazel gaze.

“So, this is the newest addition to the Lightwood family tree.”

“Yes, it is,” Isabelle answered, massaging the baby’s stomach as he started to whine.

“He’s so small,” Jace whispered in awe as he observed his tiny chest rise up and down with each breath he took.

Isabelle snorted, adjusting the IV needle so it wouldn’t bother him too much.

“Of course he’s small, he’s a prema baby.”

She started humming a lullaby as the baby’s fuzzing increased. Frowning, she then checked his IV bag, her frowning deepened as she noticed that it was still half full. Jace took the time to observe all of the equipment surrounding the toddler and mimicked Isabelle’s frown.

“What’s all this for?”

Isabelle looked up from the whining newborn and tucked rogue strands of hair behind her ear. Adjusting the cover around him, she let out a sigh before pointing to the fluorescent blue light hanging over the incubator.

“Those are bili lights, basically they’re used to prevent or treat jaundice,” at Jace’s confused tilt of head, she smiled and added, “Jaundice is the yellowing of skin and eyes.”

The blonde hummed and nodded, frantically, earning a small chuckle for the younger girl. Restraining a yawn, Isabelle then pointed to the small pads stuck on his chest.

“Those are connected to this monitor, alarms are often triggered in the NICU – the Neonatal Intensive Care. It doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with though, it’s part of a routine. Still. This,” she then designated the thin intravenous line connected to the IV, “that provides him in nutrients and medicines. We called the PICC line. Finally, this is the C-PAP – the continuous positive airway pressure. It helps him breath better,” she concluded, wincing as the small baby started squirming in the incubator.

With a tired whine, Isabelle turned off the monitor she had been pointed at her earlier, leaned into the incubator and rubbed his cheek with a thumb, softly shushing him. Jace watched with a worried frown as his whimpers turned into loud, piercing wails.

“¿Que te pasa, querido?” Isabelle whispered, carefully scooping the fidgeting baby into her arms, mindful of the equipment surrounding him, “¿Tienes hambre? ¿Tienes frio? Dime que quieres, niño, ” she brought him to her chest and looked up at Jace, “Come here.”

Cocking an eyebrow at her, the blonde didn’t argue and took a few steps toward his sister, his heart aching as his wails got louder.

“Take off your shirt,” Isabelle ordered.

“Urgh- what now??” Jace spluttered, throwing a wide-eyed look at her.

Isabelle let out a groan and rolled her eyes so far back her head Jace was actually scared they would actually get stuck that way.

“Now is not the time to get shy, Jonathan. Take it off,” As the blonde kept staring at her, incredulous, she sighed, ‘I’m hoping skin-to-skin contact will help calm him down.”

Jace watched as Isabelle flinched, closing her eyes as the newborn began hiccupping before letting out another loud cry. Letting out a breath through his nose, he took off his shirt and held out his arms. Re-opening her eyes, Isabelle let out a sigh of relief before slowly passing the newborn into his arms.

“You got him?”

“Yeah, I got him,” Jace retorted, bringing the baby to his chest, a hand on his hand and the other on his back.

Slowly but surely, his crying got quieter before finally stopping completely. Jace let out a breathless chuckle as he rested his small against his chest, still hiccupping. Isabelle cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands before she went to Jace, leaning her head on his shoulder. The latter sent her a small smile before he focused his attention back onto the baby, who was staring back at them, his brown eyes wide opened.

“Hey little dude,” Jace whispered, his voice getting choked up. Throwing a quick look at Isabelle, he cleared his throat and rested his chin on the top of his head, “Welcome to this crazy-ass family. “

Isabelle snorted before bopping his nose.

“We may be crazy, but we take care of our own. We got you, querido.”

The blonde nodded, ignoring the rogue tear that rolled down his cheek as he dropped a soft kiss on the top of his head.

“Yeah. We got you.”

* * *

 

Isabelle was bored.

After a couple of days sleeping by her brother’s bedside, she had been forced by Hodge to take some time off. It had started as a request from her mother for her to go home and take a shower, but after seeing that her words were inefficient on her daughter, Maryse had elicited Hodge’s help.  
Hodge had been harsher and threatened to call security on her if she didn’t get out of the hospital. When that hadn’t worked, the older man had, then, threatened to fire her.

That got Isabelle to leave the hospital and go back to her apartment, where she had showered and eaten a quick meal before drifting to sleep. Even though she didn’t want to admit either Hodge or her mother were right, sleeping for more than three hours had did her some good. Isabelle had slept in, got out for a run and breakfast before going back to her place. Trying to get her mind off Alec and Lydia, she had cleaned the entire apartment and reorganized her cupboards. Eventually, Isabelle ran out of things to do and got bored, finding herself alone with her thoughts. So, she decided to get out of her flat and decided to go check on Alec and Lydia’s place. Quickly getting into an old sweater and jog pants, Isabelle put her hair into a messy bun and grabbed both set of keys before heading out.

Arriving at her brother’s place, she frowned when she heard music coming from down the hall. Isabelle quietly closed the door behind her and threw the keys on the coffee table, toeing her shoes off. She restrained the urge to call ‘hello’ and grabbed the umbrella as she made her way toward the source of the noise. Her frown deepened when Isabelle notice that the door of the unmade nursery was ajar. And as she got closer, she realized that she recognized the voice of her brother singing along Prince’s Purple Rain. With an amused snort, Isabelle lowered the umbrella and quietly pushed the door open, careful not startle him.

Sure enough, once she entered the room, she found Jace bobbing his head to the music, a paint roll in his hand as he did the walls. Isabelle smiled as she watched the oblivious blond mumble the words under his breath and used his distraction to take a look around the room, amazed at the work he had already accomplished. The entire ceiling was painted pitch black, covered in yellow, fluorescent star stickers. The walls were painted in a blue gradient, going from a really dark blue to a lighter tone. The furniture had also been assembled: the crib had been placed in the middle of the room, filled with teddy bears and other gifts Lydia had received during her baby shower. The wardrobe and the changing table had been painted blue and decorated with star stickers, matching the one of the ceiling. Her eyes wide-opened in awe, Isabelle couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her mouth.

“Hey,” she startled at the small greeting and turned around, finding Jace grinning back at her, “I didn’t hear you came in,” he said, lowering the volume of his music.

“Yeah,” Isabelle snorted as she walked further into the room, turning on her heels, “I wonder why.”

Rolling his eyes, Jace put down the roll and wiped his hands on his already ruined jeans before looking up at her, a frown on his face.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was going insane by my own,” she said, lifting a shoulder, “I thought I would come here and check on things, maybe pack some stuff for Alec, Lydia and the baby.”

Jace hummed, a smirk pulling at his lips as he crossed his arms around himself.

“So, whaddaya think?” he asked, twirling on his heels.

Isabelle hummed, playing with a planet that hung from the mobile dangling above the crib.

“It’s alright,” she muttered, lifting a shoulder.

Jace scoffed and rolled his eyes as she cackled, waggling her eyebrow at him. With a sigh, Jace tugged on his sleeves to cover his hands and tried to brush the hair that fell onto his forehead. With an eye roll, Isabelle walked to him and brushed his back before taking it off her beanie and plopping it on his head.

“There,” Isabelle said, her tongue sticking it out as she fixed his hair,” Much better.

“Well, thank you very much,” Jace chuckled, popping her nose with a blue-covered finger.

Isabelle groaned and began frantically rubbing the tip of her nose, throwing a glare at her laughing older brother. With a defeated sigh, she let her hands fall to her side and leant against the crib. Grabbing a rag, Jace tried to scrub most of the paint off of his hands and leaned over the crib.

“You know, you could bring the little dude a little plush,” Jace suggested, nodding to the pile of teddy bears in the cradle.

Isabelle turned around and tilted his head to the side as she peered into the crib. Reaching into it, she grabbed a plush lion and showed it to Jace.

“How about this one?”

“Hm. Perfect,” he retorted, a grin on his face.

Isabelle returned the smile, bringing the toy closer to her chest. Her phone going off in her pocket broke the silence. Frowning, she handed the stuffed lion to Jace before taking her device out. The blond watched, with a concerned frown, Isabelle’s face go white, her eyes wide-opened as she read the text.

“What is it? What’s going on, Izzy?” he asked, trying to keep the frenzy out of his voice.

“It’s Alec,” Jace’s heart skipped a beat when Isabelle looked up at him, “he’s awake.”

 

* * *

 

The first time Alec woke up, he didn’t know where he was and his entire body ached. The constant beeping and smell of antiseptic were what clued him that he was in a hospital. He kept his eyes closed for a while, hoping that he would get back to sleep. Unfortunately for him, the pain kept him awake. Groaning, he cracked an eye opened, only to wince at the sudden brightness.

“Mr Lightwood?”

Alec moaned and tried to cover his eyes with his arm, stopped by a sharp pain in his hand. Someone tried to push his arm back down and forced his eyelids open, flashing a light in his eyes.

“Mr Lightwood, if you can hear me, I need you to open your eyes,” the unfamiliar voice from earlier pressed.

And I need you to leave me the hell alone, Alec retorted inwardly, annoyed. As he opened his mind to speak his mind, the only thing that came out was a dry, painful cough. Frowning, he tried to push the stranger’s hands away only for his own hands to be brushed away. Tired from fighting back, Alec let himself drift back to sleep, ignoring the call of his name and welcoming the soothing darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

The second time Alec woke up, he was a bit more lucid and his entire body was numb. He also knew that he was in a hospital. He just didn’t remember how he had gotten there. Blinking a few times, he frowned at the IV next to his bed and at the rest of the equipment surrounding his bed. Pushing himself in a sitting position, Alec was immediately forced to lie back down by two strong, yet, gentle hands.

“Easy, buddy,” A voice warned.

Looking up from the pair of hands, his gaze fell on a familiar blonde man wearing scrubs. Once he was sure Alec wouldn’t get up again, the blond took a few steps back and pushed on a button on the side of his bed, making the upper half of it rise up. Alec’s eyes followed the man as he walked to the other side of the bed and to pour him a glass of water, putting a straw into it. Looking up, the doctor smiled kindly when he caught his gaze before clearing his throat.

“Good afternoon, Alec,” he greeted casually as he handed him the plastic glass, “Do you remember me? I’m Hodge Starkweather, I work with your sister, Izzy.”

Wearily taking the glass he was handed, Alec settled for nodding instead of replying at loud. Of course he knew Hodge Starkweather, Isabelle had been singing his praises before and since she had started working under his orders. Hodge returned the nod, seeming satisfied with his answer, and grabbed the chart at the end of his bed.

“Alec, you’ve been in the hospital for the last three days. Do you remember why?”

Carefully sipping on his water, Alec shook his head, swallowing the cold water and letting it soothe his sore throat. Hodge hummed and scribbled something on the chart. He looked back at Alec, his head tilted to the side.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?”

Alec shrugged. It wasn’t as if he had a choice. Hodge shot him a small smile and clicked his pen.

“Alright. Please, state your full name, date and place of birth.”

Fidgeting with the plastic glass, he tried to straighten in his bed, only to be stopped by something wrapped around his chest. Noticing the movement, Hodge winced.

“Yeah, moving is going to be an issue for a while. You’ve got a brace surrounding your entire upper body.”

Furrowing his brow, Alec narrowed his eyes at the doctor and tilted his head to the side, perplexed. Hodge sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll explain why later. Just try to answer as much questions as you can.”

Leaning against the headboard, Alec took another sip of water and cleared his throat.

“Alex-“ he winced at the croaking sound of his voice and cleared his throat again, “Alexander Gideon Lightwood. I was born in New York, in September 1983, 21st.”

“Good,” Hodge nodded, a satisfied smile stretching his lips, “Do you have any siblings?”

“Yeah, two,” At Hodge’s cocked eyebrow, Alec corrected himself, “Three technically, Jace’s adopted. Izzy and Max are the other two, they’re the youngest.”

“Do you know what year this is?”

Frowning at the question, he restrained himself from rolling his eyes and cleared his throat a third time, rubbing it gently with his hand.

“2006.”

Alec took another gulp while Hodge hummed, ticking off cases on his chart.

“That’s great, Alec. You’re doing great,” he assured, putting down the chart on a cart next to him, “Now, I’m just going to do some motor tests. You don’t have to talk. Just nod or shake your head. Then, I’m going to let you rest.”

Alec followed Hodge as he moved across the room and gently took his left arm in his hand, mindful of the IV drip. He took a small needle out of his pocket and poked his bare arm with it.

“Did you feel that?” Alec nodded, earning a grin from Hodge. He, then, took his hand and asked, “Can you give my hand a squeeze? A really big squeeze my hand as hard as you can,” he obeyed, frowning in concentration, “Awesome. Can you bend your arm, now? Slowly. Awesome.”

Hodge patted him on the shoulder, before gently putting his arm back on the bed and moving to the other side. He repeated the same process on his right arm. Putting back his arm on the bed, he moved to his legs and uncovered them. That was when Alec noticed the white cast covering his leg. Frowning in confusion, he cocked his head to the side. How had he not noticed it earlier?

Oblivious to Alec’s confusion, Hodge bent his right leg to the knee and squeezed his thigh.

“Did you feel that?”

Without taking his eyes from his cast, Alec shook his head. He pushed his leg back down before moving to the left side. Because of the cast, Hodge couldn’t fold his leg, so he settled on only squeezing his thigh. Alec only knew Hodge had squeezed his thigh because he had seen the doctor do it. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have.

“Did you feel that?” Hodge repeated.

Feeling a lump forming in his throat, Alec shook his head. Frowning, Hodge got the needle out of his pocket and poked his thigh with it.

“Did you feel that?”

Again, Alec shook his head. Letting out a sigh, Hodge pocketed the needle and covered his legs before grabbing the chart back. Still frowning, Alec squeezed his thigh as hard as he could, digging his nails into his flesh until he drew blood. He still left nothing. Looking up from his notes, Hodge noticed the blood flowing down his thigh and rushed to his side, slapping his hand away.

“You really shouldn’t do that.”

“Why can’t I feel my legs?” he muttered to himself

Hodge sighed again before taking a cloth and antiseptic out of a drawer, wiping his thigh before wrapping a bandage around it.

“Why can’t I feel my legs?” Alec repeated, his tone more forceful.

Looking up, Hodge clenched his jaw before letting out a breath through his nose. He pushed him gently so he was leaning back against the headboard and unclenched his fists.

“Do you remember how you got here, Alec?”

Frowning at the question, Alec was ready to shake his head, only to stop himself, his head tilted to the side as he remembered bright lights glaring back at him and the sound of tires screeching.

“I was in a car accident,” he murmured, mostly to himself, before looking up at Hodge, “Wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were,” the blond replied, his expression sympathetic as he saw Alec gulp, staring at his legs, “a car ran into yours-“

“Lydia was with me,” he interrupted, his heart skipping a beat, his eyes wide opened, “We were going to the hospital, and- and-"

Hodge rushed to Alec’s side as the latter began to breathe heavily.

“Alec, I need you to calm down.”

He stared at him as if he was crazy, wheezing. How was he supposed to calm down? He had been in a car accident, he couldn’t feel his legs and his extremely pregnant wife was unaccounted for. He wouldn’t be able to calm down for a while. Why was it so hard to breathe? Where was Lydia?

“I need to see Lydia, she- she’s pregnant. She needs-“

Hodge pressed the ‘call’ button while trying to keep a wheezing Alec down with one arm and looking for something in a drawer. Nurses busted into the room, frowning at the doctor, the latter nodded in the younger man’s direction as a response. One nurse, who was trying to get Alec to mimic his breathing pattern while restraining him form getting up, replaced Hodge. With a grateful nod, Hodge moved to the drawers, nervously rummaging through it and got a needle, a small vial out of it and a rubber band. While Hodge used the needle to suck out of the vial, another nurse grabbed an oxygen mask off the cart and placed it on Alec’s face, pumping it. Placing the needle between his teeth, Hodge used this distraction to wrap a rubber band around the younger man’s arm to find a vein.

Hodge watched as Alec began to calm down, his eyes slowly closing as his breath came back to normal. He softly grabbed his arm and pressed the needle into his arm, nodding for the nurse to take off the oxygen mask. With a sigh, Hodge took out the needle and threw it in a nearby trash, before grabbing a napkin and wiping Alec’s arm.

“Keep him under Tramadol for the rest of the day and check on him every couple of hours,” Hodge ordered, “Hopefully, he’ll be alright.”

 _For now,_ he added inwardly, staring at the unconscious young man for a couple of minutes before leaving the room.

* * *

The third time Alec woke up, he was aware of the cast wrapped around his leg. He was also aware of the fact that he couldn’t feel his left thigh, no matter how hard he squeezed it. Looking around the room, he noticed the glass and pitch of water on his bedside table. He frowned at the empty cups of chocolate pudding pilled next to the water. He had been warned that he wouldn’t remember a lot since he had suffered trauma during the accident, but he’d definitely remembered if he had eaten three chocolate puddings. He hadn’t, by the way.

A soft snore startled him. Rubbing his tired eyes, he slowly turned his head to the side and smiled at the sight that was his sleeping sister. Isabelle was laying on the couch in his room, her black hair covering most of hair, her shirt riding up to show her toned belly. She looked so small, curling into a ball on a couch that must’ve been as old as he was. Alec whistled softly, chuckling when Isabelle groaned, her nose wrinkling. He watched with an amused smile as Isabelle slowly sat up, stretching her arms over her head and yawning with her mouth wide opened. Sighing, she brushed her hair back and wiped the dried drool on her cheek.

“Charming,” he muttered, cocking his eyebrows.

Isabelle jumped at the sudden noise, making Alec snort. She turned her hand so fast Alec was afraid she would get whiplash. A wide grin appeared on a face as she jumped out of the couch.

“You’re awake!”

“Well, obviously. You snort freaking loudly, how can I sleep through that?” Alec retorted.

Glaring at him, Isabelle slapped his arm when he smirked at her. Her glare softening, she pushed back his leg and hopped on his bed. She took his hand and intertwined their fingers together, putting them on her lap.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, big brother.”

“You too, Iz’,” Alec whispered, squeezing her hand. Frowning, he tilted his head to the side, “Aren’t you supposed to be working? Not that I’m not glad to see you.”

Letting out a humourless laugh, Isabelle tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand.

“Trust me if I had the chance, I would be working. Mom and Hodge forced me to take the week off. They almost called security on my ass to drag me out,” Isabelle faked nonchalance and shrugged, “I’m dedicated like that.”

Alec hummed, his eyes narrowed at his sister. He knew the reason Isabelle had been forced to take a week off was because of him. Clearing her throat, she let go of his hand and tilted her head to the side.

“Anyway, enough about me. How are you?”

Alec cocked an eyebrow at her, to which Isabelle responded with a smile. Rolling his eyes, he chose to play her game and shrugged.

“You know, as good as I can be with paralysed legs and a spine injury,” he replied.

At those words, Alec saw the mirth slowly disappear from her eyes. Clearing her throat, she withdrew her hand from his and wrapped her arms around herself, ignoring her brother’s frowned eyebrows.

“It’s just temporary,” Isabelle said. Cocking an eyebrow, Alec tilted his head to the side, encouraging her to continue, “Your spine was pretty messed up when we found, it took most of the hit, which resulted to a mild paralysis from the waist down. Sometimes, you’ll be able to feel something in your legs, to move your toes, but it won’t last for long,” she took a deep breath and shot him a small smile, “Neither will your condition. You’ll be back on your feet in no time.”

Alec slowly nodded, his jaw clenched to stop the impatient protest that was threatening to escape his mouth. Turning away from Isabelle, he tried to grab the pitcher of water on his night table, groaning in irritation when he realized it was out of his reach. Isabelle took it as her cue to jump out of the bed and rushed to pour him a glass, oblivious to the look he was giving and the way his hand tightened into a fist before falling back by his side.

He forced a smile when the woman handed him the filled cup and downed half of it, ignoring Isabelle’s disapproving look. The latter sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before she turned around, adjusting the I.V bag. Playing with the cold cup in his hands, Alec cleared his throat, his eyebrows frowned when Isabelle looked up at the sound.

“What about Lydia? I asked about her earlier but didn’t got an answer,” More like I had a panic attack, almost stopped breathing and blacked out, he added inwardly before shaking his head, “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“The baby’s fine,” Isabelle reassured with a smile, “An healthy, baby boy. He’ll have to stay in the premature care unit for a while, but otherwise he’s fine.”

Alec couldn’t help the chuckle of disbelief that escaped his lips, much to his sister’s amusement. He was a father. He had a son. The entire situation seemed surreal to him. He didn’t even know if he was ready to have a son or be a father at the moment. All of his doubts worsened with the dark cloud that hung over him. He sobered as he watched Isabelle’s smile slowly vanish to be replaced by a frown.

“What about Lydia?” Alec repeated, clenching his jaw.

He swore he discerned some panic in the way Isabelle’s eyes widened. It didn’t last for long, though. A second later, the young woman had composed and her usually warm, brown gaze held a coldness and indifference that Alec wasn’t used to. Clearing her throat, Isabelle got up from the bed and stuffed her hands in her back pocket.

“Lydia suffered severe head trauma, she’s in a medical induced coma right now.”

“How severe?” Alec choked out, his hands tightening into fists.

“If she wakes, she’ll be in need of surgery,” Isabelle sighed, her head tilted to the side.

“ ‘If’?”

Alec could feel his heartbeat quicken and willed himself to calm down before he could have another panic attack. This one, in front of his sister nonetheless. Closing his eyes, he focused on calming his breath, ticking off seconds with his fingers. When he reopened them, he was met with Isabelle’s concern gaze. The latter shot him a weak smile before taking a breath, running her fingers through her hair.

“She’s under a lot of meds. We’re hoping that hematoma will heal itself so we can pull her out of the coma and operate.”

Swallowing, Alec gave a nod and returned his gaze to his legs.

“Are you okay?” Isabelle asked in a small voice.

“Yeah,” he muttered, before clearing his throat and repeating louder, “Yeah,” the corner of his mouth twitched in the mockery of a smile before falling back, “it’s just a lot to take in.”

With a hum, Isabelle nodded. Then followed a silence that seemed to stretch out for wherever, during which the younger woman tried to catch his gaze and Alec focused on avoiding hers. With a sigh, she walked to the couch and picked up her satchel, rummaging through it before getting a notebook and pen out of it. Shrugging on her bag, Isabelle quietly put down the items on his night table, then took a couple of steps back and clasped her hands in front of her. Frowning, Alec took the notebook and flickered through it.

“Hodge recommended for you to have this. It would be easier for you to remember things if you wrote it down,” Isabelle explained when she noticed his confusion.

Without looking up, Alec nodded and took the pen, twirling it between his fingers before he dropped it on his bed. Biting her bottom lip, Isabelle went to reach for his hand. Without thinking about it, Alec snatched out in his hand before she could grasp it, regretting the gesture as soon as he did it. Isabelle didn’t let it deter her, though. Clearing her throat, she adjusted his covers and brushed off invisible dust of it before stuffing back both of her hands in her pockets.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Isabelle muttered, “get some rest.”

Alec hummed, twisting the notebook in his hands, his jaw clenched. He barely registered the sound of the door closing behind Isabelle, deafened by the sound of his own breathing. Rocking back and forth, his body was trembling with restrained sobs and his fingers were beginning to tear the cover of the notebook. With a guttural cry, Alec threw it against the wall, ignoring the nurses that rushed into his room, alerted by the noise. He buried his hands in his hair, pulling at it as he stared at his legs.”

“This isn’t happening,” Alec whispered to himself, his voice trembling, “ _This isn’t happening.”_

 

* * *

 

The fourth time Alec woke up, Max was drawing on his immaculate cast. Despite his situation, he couldn’t help but smile as he watched his little brother’s frowned eyebrows and his head tilted to the side as he carefully trace patterns on his cast.

“Hey, Picasso,” he greeted.

Max looked up, his eyes wide opened as he noticed Alec’s glassy gaze staring back at him. A grin appeared on his face.

“You’re awake!” he exclaimed before rolling his eyes and adding, “Well, obviously you’re awake. But each time I came to see you’re sleeping, so-“

“I got it, Max,” Alec interrupted with a chuckle before pushing himself in a sitting position, “I’m glad to see you, buddy.”

Smiling, Max gently wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned against him.

“I’m glad to see you too.”

Alec wrapped his free arm around the smaller boy’s shoulders and rested his cheek on the top of his head. With a sigh, he gave Max’s shoulders a squeeze before letting him go.

“Shouldn’t you be at school right now?” he asked.

Max frowned down at him and shook his head before gently patting his head, mindful of the healing gash on his forehead.

“It’s Saturday afternoon, Alec. There’s no school. Plus, Mom and Dad told me I could visit you, Lydia and the baby whenever I wanted to.”

His smile froze at the mention of his unconscious wife and the son he hadn’t met yet. Clearing his throat, Alec frowned at his little brother; the latter had returned to his drawing.

“You shouldn’t sacrifice school hours to visit me.”

“I don’t mind,” Max retorted, lifting a shoulder.

Alec snorted, ruffling his blonde hair.

“I’m sure you don’t,” he muttered before his expression sobered, “Did you get to see Lydia?”

Max hummed, nodding his head, but offered no other information.

“How did she look?” Alec pressed.

The blond boy stopped his doodling and tilted his head to the side, chewing on the end of his pen as he thought, a frown on his face.

“She was sleeping when I came in. There were a lot of flowers in her room, like a lot. You can’t even find a place to sit,” Max said, his eyes wide opened to emphasize on his words,” her skin is really pale and her lips really red.”

“Like Snow White?” Alec asked, his eyes wide opened.

“YES! Well, not exactly since she isn’t in a glass coffin and her hair is blonde, not black. She looked more like Sleeping Beauty,” he exclaimed, snapping his fingers when he found out the name he was looking for.

Alec snorted, restraining an eye roll while Max returned to his drawing.

“Fitting,” he muttered, “And Stephanie is playing the dragon.”

At Max’s confused hum, Alec plastered a smile on his face and shook his head. Max narrowed his eyes at him before shrugging it off. Alec restrained a yawn and rubbed his leg, frowning when he didn’t feel anything. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he clenched his fists and looked back at Max.

“Are Mom and Dad here?”

Max hummed the positive, shaking his almost dry colour pen.

“They’re talking with Lydia’s parents, “ then, with an eye roll, he added, “Well, they’re doing more arguing than talking.”

“Really?’” Alec cocked an eyebrow, the lump in his throat bigger than earlier, “What are they arguing about?”

Once again, Max shrugged. Alec sighed. It didn’t take a genius to know what their parents were arguing about. Him. Lydia. It depended on the day. Lately, they’d argue about anything and everything. The accident gave them a new argument to fight over. The Branwells were probably holding him responsible for their daughter’s current state. Not that Alec blamed. He was blaming himself for the all thing.

His father entering the room interrupted his pity party and Max’s drawing. Alec hadn’t seen much of his father. He hadn’t seen much of anyone. Still, Alec couldn’t help but frown in worry as he noticed the dark circles under the older man’s eyes and his general state of disarray. Robert caught his gaze and shot him a small smile that Alec didn’t bother to return. Then sighing, Robert turned to Max, the latter already preparing himself to protest.

“Come on, Max. Time to go.”

“But I don’t want to!” The blond boy whined.

Alec stiffened a small chuckle when his father rolled his eyes and went to pack Max’s stuff himself, ignoring his youngest son’s arguing.

“But you’ve got to. We need to let your brother rest.”

Max frowned at Robert, scrunching up his nose  
.  
“He slept all day, how can he still be tired?”

This time, Alec let out a small laugh. His father smirked when his laugh turned into a yawn, proving his previous point. Max glared at his brother, the latter helplessly shrugging.

“Come on, Max,” Robert repeated, “What did we tell you earlier? If you keep whining and protesting when it’s time to leave, we won’t bring you back.”

Max pouted and crossed his arms, glaring at the floor. With a small smile, Alec poked his side.

“Don’t pout, Maxy. You can come back and finish your masterpiece tomorrow,” then in a lower tone, he added, “It’s not as if I can go anywhere.”

Judging by the look his father sent him, Alec hadn’t spoken as quietly as he thought. Ignoring him, he focused on his little brother, the latter still glaring at his shoes.

“I’ve got French lessons, tomorrow,” Max mumbled.

“I can give them to you,” Alec proposed, shrugging. Seeing the look his father was sending him, he rolled his eyes, “On sait tous parler français. Si je donne des cours à Max, il pourra passer la journée avec moi et vous économisez de l’argent.”

Max blinked at him several times before turning to Robert, his eyes wide opened and pleading.

“Alright, I didn’t understand a word that came out of his mouth. Does it means he qualified as a teacher?”

Ignoring Alec’s smug smirk, Robert groaned and rubbed the back of his head.

“Sure, fine. Come on, now. Let’s go. “

With a huge grin, Max jumped out of his chair, shouldered his bag and hopped to his father, taking the hand the older man held out for him, under Robert’s and Alec’s amused eyes. Max stopped at the door’s threshold and turned around to wave goodbye at his brother.

“See you tomorrow!”

Alec winked his way, returning the wave. Robert wrapped his arm around the small boy’s shoulders, practically pushing him out of the door. Alec barely had the time before a new visitor knocked on his opened door. Looking up, he met Maryse’s tired gaze and struggled to plaster back on the happy façade he had kept in the entire time Max was in.

“Hey,” he weakly greeted, scratching his chin.

“Hey yourself,” she returned with a small smile, stepping fully into the room.

Like with his father, Alec was taken aback by his mother’s unusually casual attire. Her long black hair, usually up in a strict bun, was hanging loosely on the side in a braid. Her black, boring, office look had been replaced by a simple white shit and jeans overalls. Alec tried to not focus too much on her face devoid of make up and her red-rimmed eyes. Cleaning her throat, Maryse went to sit on the corner of his bed, carefully resting a hand on his leg. Alec tried to not stare at it for too long.

“How are you feeling?” Maryse quietly inquired, “And do not even think about giving me the same bullshit you gave your brother.”

Alec let out a sigh and shot her a mirthless smirk.

“Like my wife is in a coma and my premature new born risks to become motherless. I’d love to feel my legs but I can’t, because apparently, I’m paralyzed. “

He ignored the guilt he felt when he saw his mother wince. With a loud sigh, Maryse fixed him with a stare.

“Don’t be so dramatic, it’s only-“

“Temporary, I know,” he interrupted, running his fingers through his hair, “Anyway, how is Lydia?”

Narrowing her eyes at him for a second, Maryse chose to indulge him and ignore the change of subject. She wrapped her arms around herself and shot Alec a small smile.

“There’s no change. They’ve put her on life support a couple of days ago. If there’s no improvement in a week, they’ll have to take her off of it.”

Alec nodded as he proceeded the information he was given, his hands clasped on his lap. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat:

“What are the chances she gets better?”

“They’re pretty low,” Maryse admitted, covering his hand with hers.

His jaw clenched, Alec nodded again, taking his hand away. Maryse clenched her hands into a fist and wrapped her arms around herself. Clearing her throat again, she plastered a smile on her face and tilted her head to the side.

“So, I swung by the premature section to see the baby. He’s so small, it’s ridiculous.“  
Alec hummed, playing with the loose thread of his blanket.

“You know, I could bring his bassinet into your room when he’ll get out of the premature service. Or I could get you there when-“

“Hey, can we talk about this later?” Alec interrupted, looking up. He plastered a smile on his face and tried to not feel guilty at Maryse’s hurt expression, “It’s just that I’ve been awake for the last twenty minutes. And those meds are really taking a toll on me,” he faked a yawn to emphasis.

Running her fingers through her hair, Maryse shot him a small smile before nodding and getting off his bed. Alec pushed down his bed and brought his blanket to his shoulders, turning away from the door. He felt his mother drop a kiss on his head, lingering a bit before ruffling his hair. Alec closed his eyes when he heard her sniff.

“Can you close the door on your way out?”

The only response he got was the door slamming shut.

 

* * *

 

After weeks of waking up and staying lucid for no more than ten minutes, Alec was finally able to stay away for hours. Hodge had assured him that his knee and ribs are healing nicely. His bruises were almost non-existent and Hodge was confident that the damage done to his spin would heal. Alec’s pain meds income had been reduced and his cast had been replaced by his knee brace. Alec had insisted to keep the cast, ignoring the disgusted look the nurse sent him at the request. Max had spent days on his drawings and they looked, there was no way he would get rid of it.

Alec’s sleep pattern had gone back to its normal seven hours of sleep per night, he wasn’t fed through an IV anymore and the number of machines surrounding had been lessened. Alec was finally allowed to get out of his bed – while he wasn’t allowed that move too much on his own, that had been a big thing to him. Alec had almost cried when he had been allowed to go to the toilets by himself. He had shed a tear when Isabelle had wheeled him outside, pretending that his eyes were affected by the sudden light change when Isabelle had asked him if he was okay.

Being allowed to get out of his bed, Alec was give more freedom of movement and was able to leave his room on his own, much to Hodge, Isabelle and Maryse’s unwillingness. Hodge had, reluctantly, admitted that Alec was free to leave his room as long as he was being careful with his wheelchair and the hospital staff was aware of where he was. Usually, Alec found himself rolling down the halls at night when all his visitors were gone, aimlessly wandering through the hospital. Somehow, it was strangely soothing to him. Alec didn’t have anyone hovering over him, worrying about him or asking if he needed an extra pillow. At least, he didn’t have to worry about pretending to be fine.

That night, Alec found himself unconsciously rolling to Lydia’s hospital room. He stopped his chair, frowning when he noticed that the door was ajar. His head cocked to the side, he quietly resumed his way toward the room, his frown deepening when he heard a voice. Alec knew for sure that it couldn’t be Lydia’s. He didn’t let himself hope that it could be Lydia’s. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Alec quietly pulled the door fully opened, his heart skipping a beat at the sight he was greeted with.

Like he had expected, Lydia was still unconscious, her long blonde hair surrounding her face as if it was a halo. Her bed was surrounded by multiple and diverse machines, each beeping in a weird symphony. What he hadn’t expected was to see John sitting by her side, their fingers intertwined together as he spoke softly to her. Alec looked down at his lap, feeling as if he was intruded on a personal moment. Without a second look to the couple, he slowly and quietly began to back away. Well, he tried to be quiet. He would’ve been successful if it weren’t for the tires screeching against the floor.

“Alec,” he looked up at the call of his name, meeting the gaze of John, the latter staring back at him, his eyes wide-opened, “you’re awake.”

“Hey,” he croaked out, before clearing his throat, “Yeah, it’s been a while.”

John let out a small laugh, nodding as he let go of Lydia and got up to meet him at the threshold. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stuffed his other hand in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe.

“Yeah, sorry I haven’t been by your room, it’s just-“ John interrupted himself, throwing a look behind his shoulder at Lydia, “I just didn’t want her to be alone. It’s great to see you out of your bed, though,” he added, shooting him a small smile.

Alec returned the smile and gave him a nod.

“It’s great to be out of bed, believe me. And don’t worry about it; I’ve got a million of people worrying about me. I’m glad she has someone to keep her company,” he sighed before looking back at Lydia, “how is she?”

Clenching his jaw, John ran his fingers through his hair.

“Not great. Starkweather is embellishing her state, thinking that she’ll eventually get better. Isabelle is less hopeful. Right now, the only thing keeping her alive is the life-support,” John cleared his throat and crossed his arms against his chest, “Her parents want to pull the plug.”

Alec kept quiet, slightly taken aback by the frank tone of the other man. Unlike others, John didn’t bother to beat around the bus, giving him straight answers. Looking up at the other man, Alec noticed that he was expecting an answer from him.

“Are they going to do it?” At his confused frown, he added, “Pull the plug?”

“Technically, they can’t,” John answered, shrugging his shoulders, “You’re the only one who’s allowed to make the decisions for her. It’s pissing off Stephanie, which is hilarious to me,” he smirked, looking up as if he was picturing the older woman’s face before he sobered up and looked back at him, “She’s trying to convince them you’re not mentally stable, so she can take the decision.”

“Well, she isn’t wrong,” Alec muttered, scrubbing his chin.

John watched with a frown as Alec looked down at his hands, grumbling under his breath. Sighing, he plastered a smile on his face and stuffed the hand in his pocket.

“Yeah, well, no pressure, dude,” his smile widened as the other man snort before he cleared his throat, gently punching Alec’s shoulder, “No, but seriously, it’s not an easy decision to make. Take your time, they’ll understand. Well, except for Stephanie, but who cares,” he rolled his eyes, lifting a shoulder.

Alec let out a small chuckle, rubbing his eyes as he restrained a yawn.

“Anyway,” he sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “what are you still doing here? I thought visiting hours ended hours ago.”

John scoffed, his smile turning into a smirk and tilted his head to the side.

“Technically, I’m not allowed to be in here?” he admitted, “Isabelle sneaked me in before she went home.”  
“What do you mean you’re ‘not allowed’ to be in here?” Alec frowned.

“I was blacklisted by the Branwells. I’m not legally allowed to be in this room.”

Alec hummed, crossing his arms as he leaned back into his chair. Again, John rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders in a ‘what-can-you-do’. Thumbing his bottom lip, he leaned forward and rested his elbows onto his knee.

“You know, I could write in as one of my visitors. After all,” he smirked when John cocked an eyebrow at her, “my authority undermines theirs, right?”

“I like the way you think, Lightwood.” John retorted, a smirk on his face. His smirk softened into a grin as he watched Alec restrain another yawn, “You should go to sleep; it’s getting late.”

“So should you,” he retorted, rubbing the back of his head.

Humming, John shot another look to Lydia, lingering longer than he had earlier.

“I think I’m going to stay with her for a bit,” he said before he turned back to Alec, an eyebrow cocked, “You never know.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, beginning to roll backwards, “Well, if you need anything, ask for Gabriella. She always gives me extra pudding cups.”

John snorted and held out a fist, smiling when Alec bumped it with his.

“Duly noted.”

 

* * *

 

Alec firmly believed that physical therapy was some kind of torture and humiliation. Whenever he had expressed his beliefs aloud, Isabelle would roll her eyes, run her fingers through his hair and affirmed that it was for his good. Right now, as he was lying down on a cot and forced to push on Maureen’s hand with his foot, Alec felt more like he was more a spectacle of himself than he was making progress.

“Alright, you can stop pushing now,” Maureen said, giving his foot a comforting squeeze before pushing his leg back down, “Do you feel walking a bit?”

“Yeah,” Alec breathed out, “sure, let’s do that.’

With a smile, she held out a hand and helped him into a sitting position. Groaning, he swung his legs to the side and leaned against Maureen as they slowly made their way to the bars.

“What’s our regard again?” she asked, making sure Alec wouldn’t fall without her as support before she went to grab his medical chart.

“13, I think,” he answered, his grip tight on the bars as he tried to stay upright.

“Right. Let’s try to reach fifteen. Good?” Maureen asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Letting out a breath, Alec nodded to her before looking down at his feet. Slowly, he lifted his right foot and took his first step. He felt as if he had regressed to his toddler days. In some ways, he was. He had had someone feeding him and helping him to the bathroom for a while. He was under constant surveillance and he was re-learning how to walk, a person standing in front of him with arms wide-opened, ready to catch him if he were to trip. Alec slowly made his way to the end of the makeshift path. Way too slowly, to his liking. Maureen didn’t seem to think so, judging by the wide grin that he was greeted with and the high praises she gave. He had tripped several times and yet, she seemed to think his progress was out of this world. At least, one person was glad with his recovery.

“I’m going to bring you your chair. Do you think you can stay up for a couple of minutes?”

Alec was ready to collapse but he kept quiet, plastering a smile on his face and nodding. Maureen returned the smile, squeezing his arm before she took her leave. With a groan, Alec let his head fall onto his chest, his eyes closing on their own accord.

“Excuse me?”

Startled by the proximity - and unfamiliarity – of the voice, Alec lifted his head and opened his eyes, frowning as he noticed the woman staring at him from the threshold. She looked a bit older than him, possibly in her early thirties, and had dark curly hairs that fell down her back. Her left arm was in a sing and she had butterfly stitches on her forehead. He blinked at her silently before shaking himself out of his trance and clearing his throat.

“Can I…help you?”

“No… I mean- I just,” she interrupted herself, biting on her bottom lip, “I just wanted to be sure you were okay.”

His frown deepening, Alec cocked his head to the side.

“Do I know you?”

Her eyes wide opened, she frantically shook her head, rocking from one foot to the other. He watched, worried and confused, as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“No, I’m just- I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t be here,” she exclaimed.

Alec’s eyes widened as he saw tears form in her eyes. He wanted to walk toward her, to place a comforting hand on her good arm and help calm down. He couldn’t will his feet to work, though. Powerless, he looked around the room, hoping that a doctor or nurse would notice the distressed woman. No such luck. With a sigh, Alec turned back to the woman, watching as she curled into a ball, her entire body trembling and muttering to herself.

“It’s my fault. I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault.”

And suddenly, it clicked. He didn’t know what made it click, but it did. All pieces of the puzzle came together in Alec’s mind and everything clicked.

“It was you,” he muttered, watching as she froze, “you were the one who crashed into us.”

Wiping her tears with her free, the woman straightened and sniffed, watching him with pleading eyes. His knuckles became white as his grip tightened around the bars.

“I’m sorry-“

“Yeah, you’ve already said that,” Alec interrupted, his jaw clenched. He shot a mirthless smile, “Is it supposed to mean something the more times you repeat it  
?”

As if it were possible, he watched as her teary got wider and wider and her breath quickened. He fixed with a glare as she began to back out of the room.

“I’m- I’m s-“

 _“ ‘Sorry’?_ No, seriously is it supposed to make things better?” he gave a nearly hysterical chuckle, “ _Why_ are you even here for? To apologize? To soothe your guilty conscience and make sure everything is alright? Because it isn’t, ” Alec’s tone went from mocking to harsh, “Nothing is alright, because of _you_. Because of your fucking stupid mistake-“

Maureen returning in the room with his chair interrupted Alec. Frowning at the two, she rolled the wheelchair to him before she turned back and shot a gentle smile to the crying woman.

“Excuse me, do you need help with something?”

“She’s lost,” Alec intervened before she could say a world, still glaring at her, “She was on her way out.”

Maureen shot him a confused look, which he ignored, before she spun to face the other woman. With a smile, Maureen walked to her, placing a hand on her arm as she began to lead her away.

“Well, that was unnecessary.”

Rolling his eyes, Alec slowly made his way back to his wheelchair while ignoring Jace leaning against the doorframe. Falling into his chair with a sigh, he took off the brakes and placed both of his feet on the support. He looked up at his brother, the latter watching him through narrowed eyes.

“Say what you want to say, Jace.”

The blonde man shrugged and pushed himself off, entering the room.

“I don’t have anything to say. You’re just acting like a massive dick.”

Alec scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry, should I have offered her flowers and chocolate for crashing into my car?”

Jace rolled his eyes and snorted, shaking his head.

“No, seriously, tell me. Was I being too mean to the woman almost killed my pregnant wife and practically paralyzed me?” Alec insisted, not caring that his voice was getting louder as he spoke.

Jace let out a humourless laugh, clapping his hands.

“ _Here we go, ladies and gentlemen_!” he announced.

Nurses, therapists and patients stopped what they were doing, watching with a frown as the argument began to broom between the two brothers. Putting on a show-stepping smile, Jace outstretched his arms.

“Please, take a seat, make yourself comfortable. The train will soon be leaving the station. Destination-“ the blonde turned to glare at Alec, his smile turning into a smirk, “Alexander Lightwood’s pity party. All aboard, folks! _Tchu-tchu.”_

Alec rolled his eyes as Jace mimicked pulling a train lever and turned to roll away. He knew his brother. He knew Jace was provoking him , trying to get a rise out of him. He knew Jace was itching for a fight. He knew better than giving into Jace’s taunts. Still, Alec couldn’t help but clench his hand, his hold on his heels unnecessary tight. Ignoring the small voice in his head that he called ‘reason’, he walked right into the trap Jace set up for him and let himself be caught. He turned back around and frayed a passage through the crowd, smirking back mirthlessly at Jace.

“You don’t think I should be having a pity party? Right,” he barked out a laugh, “Of course I shouldn’t because it wouldn’t resolved around you, would it?”

Alec’s smirk widened as Jace clenched his jaw, his eyes shooting daggers at him. Putting his hands on his laps, Alec tilted his head to the side and faked a pout.

“Are you really that uncomfortable when you’re not the center of attention?”

The blonde let a scoff, running his fingers through his hair before letting his hand fall onto the back of his neck. Alec lost his smirk, quickly replacing it with a scowl.

“For someone who wasn’t a lot to say, you seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“You know what?” Jace snapped, walking toward him and crouching to be at his level, “I do have a lot to say. For example, how sick I am to see you treating everyone like a piece of shit. We’re trying to help you, you stubborn fucking idiot!”

Alec recoiled at that, his eyes wide opened as he stared back at Jace. The latter scoffed again and stood back up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Shaking his head, Alec narrowed his eyes as he followed his brother’s movements across the room.

“I don’t need your help.”

“Newsflash, dude: you’re in a wheelchair!” the blonde exclaimed, his eyes wide opened in disbelief, “I’m pretty sure you do need our help. Get over yourself.”

“ ‘Get over’ myself?” Alec scoffed, a mirthless smile on his face, “Do you even yourself when you talk?”

“Yes, I do but you are not hearing me,” Jace retorted, punctuating each of his words. Licking his lips, he walked back toward Alec, “Yes, you’ve had a rough month, it’s been a rough month for everyone. So yeah, get over yourself.”

Grabbing his chair handles, Jace leaned in so their faces were only inches apart. Alec swallowed the lump in his throat, restraining himself from flinching back as he stared into the blonde’s mismatched eyes. Clearing his throat, Jace cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side.

“It’s time for you to stop being a little shit and face the real world, bro. To put it in a phrase, _grow a spine_.”

And in that instant, Alec did a very a Jace-thing, which is to do something before – or without thinking it through. He knew it was stupid but he did it anyway. Without any second thought, Alec jumped out of his wheelchair and pinned Jace onto the floor, straddling his hips so he wouldn’t get up. The latter fell onto his back with a wince, an arm coming up to cover his face while the other tried to block Alec’s blows, to no avail. Jace was actually surprised he had managed to land more than two hits in his condition.

He was vaguely aware of Hodge rushing into the room, trying to pry Alec away from him. He hadn’t even noticed someone had gone to fetch the doctor.

“Alec! Alec! Let go!”

With a guttural cry, Alec pushed away Hodge, sending him flying into a medicine cabinet. Jace used the small distraction to his advantage and grabbed one of his arm, twisting it behind his back and sitting back. Wincing in pain, Alec jabbed his elbow in his face, making Jace fall back on his back and his nose crack. With a groan, the blonde brought both of his hands to his nose, an alarming amount of blood pouring into his hands.

Suddenly, Jace felt a weight being taken off his lap. Looking up, he saw Alec being picked up by John and a nurse that was standing nearby. The tall man was squirming against their hold, glaring down at him. Jace winced as he was abruptly pulled back to his feet. Rolling his shoulders, he looked up and met his father’s infuriated glare, the latter keeping a tight grip on his shoulder. Groaning again, Jace kept a hand on his nose and looked back at Alec, who was being manhandled by John and Hodge, the latter threatening to sedate him. That was the moment the Lightwood women – minus Lydia – chose to make their entrance, followed by Maureen, all metaphorical guns blazing.

Isabelle made a beeline for Alec, only to be brushed by him when asked if he was alright. Clenching her jaw, she turned to glare at Jace, rolling her eyes when the latter responded with a shrug. Maryse stood between the two, her hands on her hips, ready to intervene if needed be.

“What the hell were you two thinking? Are you insane?”

“Well, clearly we weren’t,” Alec retorted, smirking undeterred by his mother’s glare.

“Mom-“ Jace started, taking a step toward Maryse.

“I don’t want to hear it, Jonathan,” she spat, holding a finger, “I mean, how stupid can you be to think- to start-“ Maryse pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, “I can’t even look at you, right now. I can’t look at either of you.”

“He started it-“ Alec mumbled, his smirk long gone.

“Oh please, you’re the one that went all King-Kong on me,” Jace scoffed, before whining in pain.

“ _ **BASTA! BASTA! ¡No quiero oírlo, nada de eso!”**_ Maryse shouted, “You’re brothers, you’re supposed to support each other, not try to beat the shit out of each other,” her voice cracked at that, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let out a breath. Pursing her lips, she pushed back strands of hair and reopened her eyes, her gaze now focus and blank, “As soon as your face is… fixed, I want you out of this hospital-“

“Mom-“ Jace began to protest, his eyes wide-opened. Robert stopped him by squeezing his shoulder.

“Jace, I _do not_ care where you go, I don’t want to see you in any of these halls,” Maryse said, her tone ending any discussion.

His jaw clenched, the blonde turned around and slowly walk out of the room, a hand still pressed to his nose. With a sigh, Robert gave his wife a small nod and followed his son out. Having followed the exchange, Hodge turned to Isabelle and cocked an eyebrow while keeping a tight grip on Alec’s arm.

“You okay to deal with that, Lightwood?”

Isabelle shot him the sweetest smile - it wasn’t really a smile, it was more like she was barring her teeth – and clasped her hands in front of her.

“It would be my absolute pleasure, sir,” the dark haired woman said before practically hopping out of the room.

Maryse rolled her eyes at her daughter’s behaviour and rubbed her forehead before turning back to Alec. The latter, noticing his mother’s stare, swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down at his bruised knuckles.

“I’ll talk to you later, Alec,” she muttered, before taking her leave.

Alec didn’t say anything to make her stay. Nor that he wanted her to, anyway. Or at least, that was what he told himself.

* * *

 

Jace let out a wince when Isabelle began to poke his nose. Poke being an understatement: she had grabbed his nose between two fingers and squeezed it, just to make sure it was, indeed, broken. Her words, not his. If you were to ask Jace, he’d tell you he had known it had been broken the second Alec had landed a blow on his face. With an angry humph, Isabelle let go of his nose and began rummaging through drawers and cupboards, slamming them loudly when she didn’t find out what she was looking for.

Wiping the leaking blood on his sleeve, Jace hesitantly cleared his throat, restraining himself from flinching when she turned to glare at him. Jace wasn’t ashamed to admit he was afraid of his little sister. The woman was a genius, well versed in martial arts and self-defence and had an unlimited access to pointy objects. Which was why he spent a few minutes searching for words that wouldn’t anger her further.

“Is the slamming really necessary?”

Isabelle blinked at him before letting out a humourless chuckle, much to Jace’s confusion. Shaking her head, she slipped on plastic gloves and took a ball of cotton out of a box, dabbing it with antiseptic. Jace couldn’t help but pull back his head when she walked toward him. With an eye roll, Isabelle grabbed his chin and began to wipe the dried blood that surrounded her nose.

“I don’t know, Jace,” she sighed, dabbing the cotton around his nose, “Was it _necessary_ for you to goad Alec into a fight?”

Jace winced louder when she pressed on a particular bloodstain. Grimacing, Isabelle loosened her hold on his face and stopped her forceful rubbing. He sent her a thankful glance that she chose to ignore. Sighing, Jace ran his fingers through his hair.

“I didn’t goad him into a fight.”

“Oh please, Jace!” Isabelle scoffed, pulling back, “you kept pushing and pushing until he snapped and attacked you. You wanted him to fight back.”

“And what if I wanted to?” Jace retorted, louder that he meant to, “What’s so bad about that? At least, he showed some emotions.”

Isabelle narrowed his eyes at him before letting out a humourless laugh and throwing the ball of cotton in the bin.

“Are you serious right now? He was in a car accident a month ago, his wife is on life support and she isn’t going to wake up. He’s going through physical and mental therapy. And you have a problem with him not showing enough emotion?

“I have a problem with the way everyone’s been acting around him!” Jace snapped, slipping out of his cot, “Everyone’ s tiptoeing around him, treating like he’s made of glass.”

“And what do you suggest we do, huh?” Isabelle retorted, her arms crossed and her eyes wide opened.

“You should start by stop pretending everything is going to be ok because it’s not!” Jace shouted, ignoring his nose throbbing and Isabelle backing away, “You should stop hoping for Alec to walk, for him to get better in a snap of your fingers, for Lydia to wake up tomorrow,” his jaw clenched, he rubbed his eyes and restrained himself from sniffing, “And Alec needs to stop acting like a selfish dick!”

“He’s been through a lot-“

“So did all of us!” Jace interrupted, “Alec’s acting like this is only affecting him, like he doesn’t have anything else. Well, he’s wrong. This is affecting all of us.”

Breathing heavily, he turned his head to avoid Isabelle’s gaze. The latter stared back at him, her jaw clenched and rogue tears rolling down her cheeks. With a sniff, she took off her gloves and threw them in the bin, tucking strands of hair behind her ears before placing her hands on her hips. Letting out a sigh, she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

“Fortunately, the fracture isn’t bad. You won’t need surgery, you’ll just have to wear a split and it’ll be fine. Here,” she got a small towel out of a cupboard, wetted it, “press this on your nose. I’ll call in Maureen or a nurse for her to put it on.”

Taking the towel out of her hands, Jace gently pressed it on his face, muttering a ‘thanks’ under his breath. Isabelle nodded and, stuffing her hands in her pockets, made her way out.

“Why can’t you be the one to put it?”

Stopping mid-step, Isabelle took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, restraining the urge to roll her eyes at the slightly whining voice of her older brother. She twirled on her heels and crossed her arms.

“First of all, I want to visit my other moronic older brother. Secondly, I’m kinda mad of you at the moment, you don’t want me to be playing with anything sharp near your face.”

Snickering at the shudder that went through Jace’s body, Isabelle gave him a small wave before turning back on her heels and walking out the room.

 

* * *

 

Alec winced as he clenched and unclenched his fingers, his knuckles splitting open once more under the white wrapping. With a sigh, he let his head fall back on his pillow, placing his hand on his lap. Now that he was actually thinking about it, jumping on his brother with a dislocated knee, healing ribs and spine, wasn’t the best idea he had. Fortunately, none of his injuries had been aggrieved during the fight and the only part of his body that had required medical attention was his hand. Despite all his words about everybody being annoyingly careful around him, Jace hadn’t been too keen on returning the blows.

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. Looking up, Alec noticed Isabelle standing in the threshold, biting on her bottom lip.

“Hey,” Alec greeted quietly.

“Hey yourself,” she retorted, walking toward the armchair beside his bed, “How are you feeling?”

“A bit sore,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “otherwise, fine. How’s Jace.”

Isabelle dropped into the armchair, crossed her arms and legs.

“Well, you didn’t break his nose, so that’s good. Unfortunately, there’s we can do about his idiocy. Some goes for you,” Isabelle waggled her eyebrows at him.

Alec rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh.

“You’re the genius of the family. Didn’t leave any brains for the rest of us.”

“Both you and Jace were born before me. And Jace was adopted,” Isabelle deadpanned, her eyebrows raised.

Alec made a show of thinking about her words before shaking his head.

“My logic still works.”

Isabelle chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the oldest brother’s antics. Alec frowned when he noticed the mirth vanish from her dark eyes. His frown deepened when she looked down and began nervously pulling on a loose thread of her scrubs. Isabelle could be hesitant at times, but never nervous. Nervous Isabelle made Alec nervous. Tilting his head to the side, he flicked her cheek, smiling reassuringly when she looked back up.

“You okay? You seem distracted.”

Isabelle began to nod before she decided otherwise and shook her head. Scratching the top of her head, she gave her a weak chuckle.

“Not really, I guess. I’ve got- Um, I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Alright,” Alec cocked an eyebrow and tried to ignore the dread he began to feel.

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

“Izzy, what is it?” At his sister’s insistent stare, he groaned, “I promise I won’t get mad.”

Isabelle nodded to herself, swallowing before she cleared her throat and looked away, her brown eyes shining with unleashed tears.

“It’s my fault,” she admitted. She rolled her eyes at Alec’s confused frown, “Lydia. It’s my fault she fell into a coma and it’s my fault she won’t wake up.”

“Izzy-“ Alec started, his eyes wide opened as he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I didn’t notice it when she came in the E.R. She was so confused and she wasn’t making any sense but I just assumed it was because of the concussion,” Isabelle continued, her voice getting more frantic as she spoke, “And I was too busy trying to get on your surgery because her injuries were superficial. I wasted so much time arguing with Hodge about it-“

“Izzy-“

“-And then I was too preoccupied convincing her that she had to give birth for the sake of the baby. I was so focused on the baby that I didn’t notice something was wrong with her until she began convulsing-“

Knowing that trying to talk to her was useless, Alec hissed himself in a sitting position, slung his legs out his bed and pulled his wheelchair closer, hauling himself into it. Isabelle was too busy freaking out to reprimand him.

“-I didn’t notice something was wrong until it was too late,” her voice cracked, her eyes wide opened as she stared in the distance, “I didn’t notice it until it was too late.”

Her brow furrowed and her hair sticking to her cheeks, she stared helplessly at him.

“How can I become a trauma surgeon if I don’t notice these things until it’s too late?”

Alec cradled her face between his hands, wiping tears away with his thumb, her wide brown eyes looking for an answer in his hazel gaze.

“Izzy,” he hushed in a soothing manner, “I’m not blaming you for any of this.”

Isabelle broke anew, her body trembling with restrained sobs as she buried her face in his neck.

“But I do!”

Shaking his head, Alec wrapped his arms around his sister, fingers running through her hair. Sighing, he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“You don’t want to play the ‘blame’ game with me, Isabelle Sophia Lightwood,” Alec whispered, “I’ll always win.”

Sniffing, Isabelle pulled back and frowned at the older man, wiping her nose.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she mumbled

“It wasn’t yours either,” Alec countered, his head tilted to the side and his arms crossed.

Isabelle rolled his eyes at his defiant expression, daring her to disagree with him. Letting out a breath, she wiped her nose again, leaned into her chair, and brought her knees to her chest, resting her head on them.

“God, we’re messed up.”

Alec snorted. That was putting it lightly. This entire month had been a freaking mess and none of them had been spared. Looking down at his legs, Alec clenched his jaw and restrained the urge to squeeze his thigh.

“We’ll be fine, though. Right?”

The hope and uncertainty he heard in Isabelle’s voice made him look up. The latter was staring at him with that look that made him squirm in his chair. A look that he had come to recognize throughout the years. A look that Max would send him, too, when he was in doubt, hoping that Alec could soothe his insecurities, that he would give the response that could solve any and everything. Alec wished he had the perfect response. But he hadn’t.

Shaking his head, he shot Isabelle a small smile and shrugged his shoulders.

“I hope so.”

 

* * *

 

Alec was in the hospital chapel.

He didn’t remember how he had gotten in the hospital chapel. Frowning, he craned his neck, looking around himself. A couple of people were sitting in the pews in front of him, whispering among themselves while others were at the altar, lighting candles.

“I didn’t expect to find you there, Lightwood.”

He almost gave himself whiplash when he turned his head to the side. Lydia let out a small chuckle of amusement, cocking an eyebrow.

“You okay there, boo?”

Alec couldn’t help but gape at her, his eyes wide-opened as he stared at her, taking it all in. Lydia’s blonde, untangled hair was cascading down her back and she was sporting the look she had when they had been rushed into the hospital. More importantly, she was sitting next to him and she looked so real. Still, Alec couldn’t help but reach over and pinch her arm.

“ _Ow!”_ Lydia squealed, slapping his hand away before she rubbed the sore area, “What the hell, Alec?”

“Sorry,” he apologized, shaking his head as if it would clear his mind, I just had… to make sure.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, Lydia snorted and ran her fingers through her hair.

“You’re a weird one, Alexander Lightwood. I missed you, though.”

Alec scoffed and rolled his eyes at the blonde, the latter waggling her eyebrows at him. With a sigh, Lydia leaned and brushed back the hair that fell into his eyes.

“Too bad you’ll have to wake up, soon,” she said, a disappointed pout on her face.

At that, a frown reappeared on his face as he tilted his head to the side.

“What are you talking about?”

Lydia mirrored his frown with one of hers, straightening in her chair.

“You have to wake up, Alec,” she repeated, putting a hand on his arm.

His frown deepening, Alec’s vision got blurry and his mind was getting fuzzy. His ears were ringing, drowning Lydia’s words as the latter continued to speak to him, shaking his arm as she did so. His entire body felt heavier, his eyes closing on their own accords as his head fell onto his chest.

**_“Alec.”_ **

Alec was startled awake when he felt someone gently shake his shoulder. His eyes opened, he looked around the small hospital, his gaze lingering on the empty seat by his side.

“You alright, babe?”

He almost gave himself whiplash when he turned his head again, his gaze falling on Maryse. The latter stood next to him, her eyebrows frowned in concern. Alec cleared his throat and shot her a small smile, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Fine. Just fell asleep, I guess.”

Maryse returned his smile with one of her own, tucking her hair behind her ears before she sat down next to him. Sighing, she rubbed her legs to give herself some warmth. Alec tightened his fists to stop himself from doing the same. Noticing the same gesture, Maryse grabbed one of his hands and began playing with his fingers, her head cocked to the side.

“How did you get here?”

Alec bit down the urge to sarcastically retort he had wheeled there, and gave a small shrug.

“I don’t really remember. I was just- looking for somewhere quiet.”

Maryse hummed, not looking up from their intertwined fingers. Finding the silence unnerving, Alec swallowed the lump in his throat, looking up at the giant cross that hung above the altar, the impressive figure of the Christ being enlightened by the candles below. Alec almost had the impression that It was glaring at him, judging him for his sins. It probably was. Still, he couldn’t look away from It.

“Mom?” he asked in a small voice.

“Yes, love?”

“Did you pray for me?”

Maryse looked up, frowning at the question before following Alec’s gaze. She took a breath and nodded.

“Of course I did. I still do. I pray for you, your siblings, for your-“

“No,” Alec interrupted. Sighing, he looked away from the cross and cleared his throat, “I meant- did you pray for me… after you found out I was gay? For me to be normal?”

Looking at his mother, Alec watched as her eyes widened in understanding. She blinked at him a couple of times before she cleared her throat and crossed her arms, turning to stare at the altar.

“I did, at first. I didn’t understand what I did wrong to deserve… this. So, I prayed for things to get better, to go back to ‘ _normal,_ ” Maryse cringed as the words left her mouth, twisting her fingers, “Things didn’t though. If anything, it got worse.”

“You were miserable, Isabelle and Jace were constantly blaming your father and I for it. Not that they were wrong-“ she let out a watery chuckle, running her fingers through her hair, “That’s when I realized that there was nothing wrong with you, that you were completely normal. We were the one who were wrong for treating you that way-“

At the sight of his mother’s tears, Alec grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together again. Maryse shot him a small smile and squeezed his hands before clearing her throat and wiping away her tears.

“So I stopped praying for you to be normal and I started praying for you to be happy. And Lydia came along and somehow, you were happy. You were smiling again.”

“I was happy,” Alec affirmed, nodding his head.

Maryse returned the nod and brought their joined hands to her mouth, kissing them before she brought them to her chest. The regular beating of her heart was strangely soothing to him.

“And you’ll be again, I promise.”

Something in her tone had Alec convinced that he would be. Having nothing to retort, Alec shot her a small smile and turned his gaze back to the altar, where a small group had gathered around it, lit candles in their hands. Maryse let out a satisfied sigh and followed her son’s gaze. They spent a handful of minutes in a comfortable silence before Alec broke it.

“Do you think she’ll get better if I pray for her?” He asked. Reading the curious look his mother was sending him as confused, he added, “Lydia. Will she get better if I pray?”

He could see that she was torn between giving him a response that would satisfy him a truthful one. Again, Alec can’t help but think of Jace’s previous words and how true they were. Biting her bottom lip, Maryse lifted a shoulder.

“I don’t know. It wouldn’t hurt to try.”

His jaw clenched, Alec gave a small nod. Noticing his dissatisfaction with her response, Maryse opened her mouth to add, something only to be stopped by the buzzing of her phone. Shooting him an apologetic look, she took it out of her pocket and sighed as she read the incoming text.

“It’s your father,” Maryse said, looking up from the phone, “Max’s getting bored and hungry and overall, just went to go home.”

“He’s still here?” Alec asked, his head tilted to the side as he frowned.

“Yeah, he wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Alec couldn’t help but smile at that. Max would take any excuse and used it to stay at the hospital. Not that Alec blamed him, his entire family was there and he wasn’t used to spend time without his siblings. Still, he didn’t think that a little boy should spend most of his time in a hospital.

“Go,” Alec told her. At her frowned eyebrows, he rolled her eyes, “I’ll be fine and I’m not the only child you have to worry about.”

Maryse gave a small chuckle, tilting her head to the side as she brushed his bangs out of his eyes and rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand.

“You sure?”

Alec leaned into her hand and gave her a small nod. She returned the nod and with a small sigh, got up, stuffing her phone back into her pocket.

“Do you need help getting back to your room?”

“Nah, I think I’ll stay here for a bit.”

Nodding again, Maryse pushed back her hair, leaned in and kissed the top of his head, lingering for a bit before she pulled back.

“I love you Alec,” she whispered.

“I love you too, Mom,” he whispered back with a small smile.

With one last smile, Maryse began to walk away only to be stopped at the soft call of her name. Frowning, she turned back to notice Alec staring back at her, a frown mirroring hers on his face.

“What is it?”

Biting his bottom lip, Alec opened his mouth to say something before he closed it and turned back to the stare at the altar. He let out a sigh.  
“I think I’ve made my decision about Lydia.”

Taken aback, Maryse’s frown deepened, her arms wrapped around herself as she took a couple of feet toward Alec.

“You sure? I mean, you still have time to make your mind.”

Alec let out a small snort at that, running his fingers through his hair. He knew that he didn’t have that much time to think about it. She knew that he didn’t have that much time to think about it. They’d been constantly telling him that it would be better for Lydia if he chose to pull the plug. Alec knew he couldn’t put it off anymore.

“Yeah,” he muttered, more to himself than to his mother, “I’m sure.”

 

* * *

 

Alec slowly rolled into the room, nodding as nurses smiled and greeted him. His heart skipped a beat when he fully saw Lydia’s prone form laying on the sterile, hospital bed. She looked so pale. She looked even smaller than usual. She looked like a simple poke in the ribs would break them all. Despite her height, Lydia was used to tower people with, her never-ending rants and cold blue eyes. Her confident presence and no-non-sense attitude, that usually made her seem taller than she was, was lacking today. If she were awake, Lydia would’ve hated all the attention she was getting, groaning about people hovering over her.

Despite everything everyone had told him, Lydia didn’t look like she was in pain. Alec thought she looked quite peaceful. If it weren’t for the wires and machines surrounding her, Alec would’ve thought she was simply sleeping. Her blonde hair was spread all over her pillow, in a sort of halo - Alec wondered if it was Isabelle’s doing – and her hands were crossed over her chest. She looked like a princess, under a sleeping curse waiting for her prince charming to come and kiss her. Alec snorted. Lydia would’ve punched him at the thought of him kissing her and him comparing her to her princess.

Taking a shaky breath, Alec rolled to her bedside, avoiding any wires. Mindful of the IV stuck in her arm, he took one of her hands in his, marvelling how his swallowed hers.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Alec sighed, playing with her fingers. “Sorry, I haven’t been here as much as I should have.”

Oblivious to the nurses’ sudden stillness, Alec rubbed the back of his neck. Smiling down at Lydia, he kept talking:

“I’ve been… busy avoiding any form of responsibility. Shocking, right?” he chuckled to himself, as if he had said the funniest thing ever, “I haven’t spent a lot of time with our son either. And yeah, we’ve got a son. So, we don’t have to worry about finding a girl name. Not that he has a name, yet. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up and give him one. He looks a lot like you, by the way.”

Alec wondered if he looked insane, talking to himself. Not that he cared, really. Clearing his throat, he gave her hand a small squeeze.

“You know, everyone’s saying you won’t wake up. I, on the other hand… Wouldn’t it be fun to prove them all wrong? To watch those smug doctors choke on their words? “

Lydia stayed still, much to Alec’s despair. He sighed and, with his free, shaky hand, ran his fingers through his hair.

“Come on, Lyds. You gotta give me something.” Alec whispered, leaning over the bed to brush back blonde locks of hair. “Help me prove them wrong. Don’t give my mother reason.”

Lydia didn’t bat a lash. A lump appeared in his throat, tears blurred his vision. Looking up the ceiling, he cleared his throat before looking back down at his comatose wife. His hold around Lydia’s hand tightened. He ignored the tear rolling down his cheek.

“Please, Lydia. Give me something.” His voice broke as he begged, “I can’t do this without you.” Alec swallowed back a sob and rubbed his nose, sniffing, “You have to wake up because I can’t do this without you,” he repeated, shaking his head.

Her fingers stayed limped in his hand. Groaning, Alec rubbed his face with a hand before rubbing it on his pants. He cupped her hand and brought it to his mouth. He tilted his head to the side.

“Does it make me selfish to want you to stay just for me?” Alec whispered, before scoffing and rolling his eyes, “Of course it’s selfish, what am I talking about?” He sniffed, leaning back in his chair, “you know, your parents told me it was my fault you ended up there and they were right. I got you there and I’m really sorry. But- But how am I supposed to go on without you, huh? How am I supposed to raise a child without you?”

Alec swallowed a new wave of tears and shrugged, closing his eyes

“I know I’m being selfish, but I’m only human, right? I get the right to be selfish and not caring about it.”

Re-opening his eyes, Alec stared at Lydia’s expressionless face and, biting his bottom lip, leaned over and kissed her full on the lips, her face cupped in his hands. He was taken aback their coldness and the feeling of the chapped lips on his. Still, he lingered a few seconds longer, hoping her lips would warm up and that she’d kissed back.

Unfortunately for him, True Love’s Kiss didn’t exist in the real world. Even if they did, he would have to be in love with Lydia for it to work. Snorting, he brushed back locks of hair falling on her forehead and kissed the top of her head. After giving her hand a long squeeze, Alec placed it back on her other hand.

“That was worth a try,” he gave a soft chuckle, sitting back in his chair with a wince.

His jaw clenching, Alec stared at Lydia’s serene expression in silence for a couple of minutes, his hands clasped on his lap. Then, cocking his head to the side, Alec let out a long sigh and gave a nod.

“Alright,” he said, looking down at his lap before whispering, “alright.”

 

* * *

 

On his way back to his room, Alec couldn’t help but stop in front of the nursery. The door was closed but he could still hear the newborn babies and see them squirm in their cribs. It broke his heart to know that his son might be one of them. It crushed him to know that his mother wouldn’t be there to soothe him. He carefully opened the door, quietly, slid into his room, making sure not to wake up the few sleeping babies, and made his way to the crib where the youngest Lightwood laid. Surprinsgly, the blonde baby was still sleeping. Alec took the opportunity to observe him.

At one month, he was still very small. Thankfully, he had grown healthy and not without any problems. His hair was so blond, you had to look very carefully to see it. Alec hadn’t exaggerated when he had said that he looked a lot like Lydia. He had her blonde hair. Her round nose. Her pointy ears. Her pink lips. Alec didn’t recognize any part of himself in the small boy. Until he noticed a familiar pair of brown eyes staring at him in curiosity. Frozen, Alec forgot to breathe, as he watched the baby tilting his head to the side, taking in his surroundings. The baby’s squirming and whining broke Alec out of his trance. Leaning over the crib, he winced as he saw his son’s face transform into a grimace. Placing two fingers against his small chest, he started rubbing it gently.

“Hey, hey. What’s the matter, little guy?”

The baby kicked up his small legs and stretched his arms over his head, waiting for someone to pick him up. Alec took a look around, hoping someone would be there to help him. Seeing as he was the only human being capable of talking and walking in the nursery, Alec sighed and pushed himself up, wincing at the sudden move. He braced himself against his wheelchair, slowly slipped one hand under the small boy’s back and placed his other hand under his head.

Seeing as his whining noises turned into cries, Alec began making soothing noises and brought him to his chest.

“It’s okay. Hey, it’s okay, I got you.” Slowly, he lowered himself into his chair, resting his chin on the top of his head and rocked him gently. “Hey, baby.”

Alec leaned his head back to look at him, smiling as the small boy grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, his head resting on his chest. Alec was baffled to find out that his hand covered his entire back. With a sigh, he kissed the top of his head.

“I got you, baby. Quite frankly, you’re the only thing I’ve got.” Alec snorted, frowning as the small boy babbled, “at least, we’ve got each other, right?”

He chuckled when the small boy covered his mouth with his small, chubby hand. Alec grabbed it with his and let his son play with his long fingers, sometimes putting them in his mouth.

“You and me, we’re going to be the greatest team ever. Just wait and see.”

While he was comfortable in his father’s arms, it was only a matter of time until he started squirming and whining again. Frowning, Alec began shushing him and rocked him in his arms, laying him down so his head laid in the crook of his elbow. Alec tried to keep calm when his whines turned into full-blown sobs. He lifted the baby so he could smell his diaper.

Noticing it was clean, his frown deepened. Alec quickly scanned the room, searching for a sucker. Or a person to rescue him. Groaning, he kept rocking the crying baby.

“What’s wrong, little guy? You tired?” Alec asked, making faces at the small bundle in his arms, “how can you be tired? All you do is sleep and eat.”  
Alec wiped his tears away with a thumb, marvelling at his chubby, soft cheeks.

“Come on, babe. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” He paused, tilting his head to the side, “not that you could tell me, even if you wanted to. And obviously, you want-“

The baby grabbing one of his fingers and stuffing it in his mouth, eventually put a stop in his ranting. He hummed, sucking on it and gripping his hand so Alec wouldn’t take it away. He let out a sigh of contentment and grinned down at him.

“That easy to calm you down, huh?”

The soft hiccupping was the only answer he got, his light brown eyes wide opened as he started at him. Who would’ve thought a one-month old baby could render Alec speechless. Clearing his throat, Alec lifted the baby higher in his arms, not taking his hand away.

“If I tell you a story, do you promise to stay quiet?” He whispered, as if they were sharing a secret.

He took his silence as a ‘yes’.

“Alright… Once upon time, there was a Princess. A fierce, really pretty and smart Princess, with long golden locks and blue shining eyes. She was loved by all of her subjects and loved ones. She was known to be fierce, fearless and ruthless toward her enemies. She stayed kind, though. One day, however, her subjects learnt that she was suffering from an illness that was incurable. At least, that what the doctors said, though,” he chuckled at the wide-eyed look the baby was sending him; as if he understood every word he was being told.

“Her Partner didn’t believe any of them, he believed there was a cure. After weeks of research, he did found one. He couldn’t leave the princess, though. His place was by her side. He, then, decided to send the princess’ champion on a mission to retrieve this cure. The Champion’s bravery was known throughout the entire kingdom and, like the princess, he was well like by the people. His courageous acts had earned him the nickname of…” Alec’s gaze focused on the lion plush the baby was clutching to his chest, before he looked back at the baby, “The Lion. Leo The Lion.”

“The Lion went on this one-month quest and, eventually, he found the cure. Unfortunately, by the time he rode back into the kingdom, the Princess was long gone. It was alright, though,” Alec quickly assured as the small boy started squirming in his arms, as if worried and annoyed, “It was alright because her Partner was still here. Though he was devastated by the sudden loss, he was alive and well. His people still believed in him. The Lion still trusted him. The kingdom and its people slowly healed over time, the Partner became the Prince and the Lion became his Champion,” Swallowing the lump in his throat, he smiled down at the bundle in his arms, “Story to be continued.”

A clear of throat made him look up. A nurse was standing in the opened door, smiling as she watched father and son. With a sigh, she walked into the room and waved the bottle in her hands at Alec.

“Sorry to disturb you, but it’s lunch time.”

“No problem,” Alec looked down at the small bundle in his arms before looking back at the nurse, “Actually, I can feed him”, he added, holding out a hand.

Though frowning, she gave him the bottle and helped Alec wrap a bib around his neck, caressing his cheek with her thumb. She watched, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her scrub and a smile on her face, as Alec made faces at the small boy in his arms, slowly bringing down the bottle down to his lips. She tilted her head to the side, amused and enthralled by the way his small hands grabbed the bottle, as if it would be taking away from him at any moment. He frowned, pulling back the bottle as the baby started coughing.

“Do we have a name yet?”

Alec reluctantly tore his eyes away from his son to look back at her.

“Leo,” he whispered before clearing his throat and repeated it louder, “Leo. Leo Henry Lightwood.”

“Leo Henry Lightwood,” the nurse repeated, smiling softly at the boy as she adjusted the bib around his neck, “It’s a pretty badass name. You’ve got nothing to worry about, little dude.”

Smiling, Alec put the dug of the bottle in the baby’s mouth and watched in fascination as he avidly sucked on it, his hands on both sides of it.

“You heard that, Leo? We’ve got nothing to worry about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, boos ! I'm starting midterms next Tuesday so I'm going to be busy and won't have time to write much, but I promise you won't have to wait that much until the fifth chapter. Please don't forget to leave a comment/kudo : it means a lot to me ! 
> 
> you can also follow/stalk/bother me on tumblr @generaleiafisher 
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> Kadi.


	5. The Mediator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec lost his smile as he looked down at his son, the latter cowering in his chair. With a sigh, he crouched down to grab Leo’s backpack and nudged his knee.
> 
> “Come on, little man. Let’s go home.”
> 
> Leo groaned and slid out of his chair.
> 
> “Bye, Mrs Garroway. Bye, Ms Fray,” he muttered.
> 
> “See you tomorrow, Leo,” Clary gave him a small smile, waving.
> 
> Alec got back to his feet and nodded to both women, before leading the small boy out of the school building. Crossing her arms against her chest, Clary turned to her mother and frowned.
> 
> “What happened?”
> 
> With a tired sigh, Jocelyn ran her fingers through her hair.
> 
> “Leo Lightwood broke Jonathan Morgenstern’s nose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the amazing feedback ! I know I say it every time - and I'll probably always say it - but it means a lot to me ! I can't possibly thank you enough for the kind comments, the kudos, the bookmarks. Honestly, thank you, danke, grazie, gracias, MERCI ! 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the fifth chapter, untitled 'The Mediator'. Quick warning : there's a time jump between the fourth and this chapter of, like, ten years ? Just wanted to inform so you wouldn't get disoriented
> 
> !!WARNING: USE OF HOMOPHOBIC SLURS!!!

Alec wasn’t sure that’s what he had in mind when he went into Law. He surely didn’t know he was going to be working as a mediator in his parents’ law firm. But, somehow, it worked out for Alec. He liked what he was doing and felt satisfied when he went home at night. Most importantly, being a mediator meant that Alec didn’t have to go to court. A case going to court wasn’t beneficial to his clients, nor was it beneficial to him. He preferred to be able to solve problems in a conference room with the people involved that being fighting in a court of law, with strangers analysing each of his words and moves and belittling him. Alec knew he had gone into Law to be able to help people and, so far, he felt like he had achieved his goal. However, as he sat there, massaging his temples while both parties argued over his head, both ignoring their lawyers, he considered stabbing his pen into his eye. Letting his hands fall onto his lap, Alec smoothed invisible wrinkles on his button up and straightened in his desk, his fingers laced together  
  
“Mrs Walker,” both parties stopped fighting at the sound of his voice, “I understand you’ve got your reasons for wanting a divorce and sole custody of your children. However, I’d like to hear your husband’s opinion on the matter.”  
  
Judith Walker, a middle-aged woman with bleach blonde hair and longue manicured nails, huffed and crossed her arms, slouching in her chair. Restraining an eye roll at her dramatic behaviour, Alec gave her a small nod and turned to her husband. Well, former husband if she had her way with it.  
  
“Now, Mr Walker, your wife asked for a divorce because of, and I quote, irreconcilable differences.”  
  
Joe Walker’s lawyer, a lanky man with greying hair, snorted and rolled his eyes, swaying from side to side in his chair.  
  
“We’ve already been over this, Lightwood. I don’t see how it’s relevant.”  
  
“Mr Murphy, need I remind that you’re not in a court of law and therefore, can not object to the questions I ask either of your clients.” Alec retorted, glaring at the lawyer.  
  
Murphy glared back but, otherwise, kept quiet. With a sigh, Alec turned back to Joe, nodding at him.  
  
“Mr Walker. Do you agree with her and think that your marriage can’t be salvageable? “  
  
The man threw nervous glances between his wife and both of their lawyers before hesitantly answering:  
  
“Well, we’ve been fighting for over a year, now, we live in separate houses. I think that divorcing was only a matter of time.”  
  
“And do you really think a parent having the sole custody of your children is the good solution?” Alec asked, tilting his head to the side.  
  
At Joe’s hesitation and nonchalant shrug, he leaned over the table.  
  
“Why did you ask for sole custody, Mr Walker?”  
  
“Because it feels like the right thing to do,” was the muttered reply he got.  
  
Alec had to remind himself that banging his head against the glass table wasn’t professional. Instead, he breathed through his nose and leaned back into his chair, tapping his pen against his notebook.  
  
“That doesn’t answer my question. Now, let me reformulate.” Alec didn’t let him the time to protest as he kept talking. “Did you ask for sole custody because you thought it was the best thing for your kids or did you do it to piss your wife?”  
  
Behind him, he could hear Judith loudly gasping. As if he knew she was about to throw a fit again, he raised a finger, silencing her in that simple gesture as he kept staring at Joe. The small nod he got from the latter was the only answer he needed. Sighing, Alec pushed back his chair, so he could look at both parties.  
  
“Look, divorce is a long and expensive procedure, one I don’t think you need. On top of that, you’re going to have to go to court and fight for the custody of your children. Again, that’s expensive. If neither of you can come to an agreement, we’ll have to choice for you or ask them to choose for themselves. And trust me, you don’t want to put your kids through that.”  
  
Seeing as he had both parents’ attention, Alec continued:  
  
“Personally, I don’t think that sole custody is a good idea. No children should grow up with the absence of a parent, if that absence can be avoided. Especially at a young age. And as Joe said before, you don’t live together anymore. Therefore, fighting of them won’t be a problem.”  
  
“Do you have a child, Mr Lightwood?” Judith asked in a soft tone, “I mean, you seem so passionate about the cause.”  
  
Slightly taken aback by the question, Alec quickly regained his composure and smiled, giving her a small nod.  
  
“Yes, a son. He’s about to turn 10. Unfortunately, his mother passed away when he was just born. I’ve had to raise him on my own.”  
  
“So what do you have to propose us, Lightwood?” Judith’s lawyer, a woman seemingly in her early thirties, spoke up.  
  
Alec smiled at her. He liked Diana Martinez way more than he liked Murphy. She was barely older than him and yet, she was one of the most talented lawyers of the state of New York. Despite her higher rank, she treated him with respect and accepted, welcomed criticism, believing that she still had a lot to learn.  
  
“Well, instead of a divorce, I’d recommend you to go to a couple therapist.” Alec grabbed his notebook and quickly scribbled onto it, “If it doesn’t work, you could choose to begin a divorce procedure or you can just settle for an amicable separation. Concerning your children, I’d advise a joined custody. They can stay at Judith’s during the week and at Joe’s during the weekend. Or vice-versa, whichever suits your schedule.” Alec let out a breath and looked up from his notes. “Does that arrangement please anyone?”  
  
Judith and Joe exchanged a glance before each giving a nod. Alec grinned, stopping himself from bumping his fist in victory.  
  
“Great,” Alec ripped pages out of his notebook and placed them into his folder. He pushed his chair back and got up, prompting the others to do the same, “I’ll have my assistant contact you to organize a last meeting, so we’ll be able to deal with the last formalities.”  
Gathering all of his stuff, Alec walked out of the conference room and shook both clients’ hands, nodding to their respective lawyers. Murphy glared and stomped to the elevators. Alec rolled his eyes, earning a smirk and wink from Diana. As soon as the elevator’s doors closed behind lawyers and clients, Alec let his head fall back and rubbed his eyes, groaning. Shaking his tired body, he, then, dragged himself to his office.  
  
At his arrival, Aline was sitting at her desk, phone stuck between her shoulder and her ear. It didn’t stop her from smirking at his dishelmed form. Glaring at her, Alec gave her the finger before stepping into his office. Dropping his folders onto his desk, he tried to order the things on it so it wouldn’t be a mess the next time his mother decided to drop by for a surprise visit. Falling into his chair, Alec clenched his jaw, stopping a yawn, as he turned on his computer.  
  
A knock on the door made him look up, then roll his eyes when he saw Aline leaning against the doorframe, still smirking like the cat who ate the canary.  
  
“How did it go with the couple from Hell?” she asked in a teasing tone.  
  
“Pretty well since I didn’t try to hang myself with my tie,” he muttered, his eyes still on his computer’s screen, “not that the idea didn’t cross my mind.”  
  
Aline snorted, walking into the office and dropping onto his couch. Alec threw a look at his watch, frowning as he looked back up at the dark-haired woman.  
  
“What are you still doing here? I thought you needed to leave early.”  
  
“Family loyalty,” Aline retorted, with a nonchalant shrug, “Aunt Maryse would’ve my head if you had killed yourself when I was in the same building as you.”  
  
Alec was the one who snorted this time. Aline wasn’t family, but it was all like it. He couldn’t remember a time where Aline or any of the Penwallows weren’t part of his life. Cocking an eyebrow at the young woman, Alec leaned into his chair and crossed his hands over his stomach.  
  
“And now that you’ve seen that I’m still alive, you can go. I’m sure your wife is waiting for you at home. “  
  
“Yeah, about Helen,” Aline let out a nervous chuckle, playing with the hem of her shirt, “she was hoping you’d come for dinner tomorrow night.”  
  
Swaying in his chair, Alec scoffed and shook his head.  
  
“As much as I appreciate the offer, I’m not going to play candle-holder all night.”  
  
“This thing is… you won’t be playing candle-holder?”  
  
The statement made Alec – and his chair – freeze. Sitting up, he stared at Aline in disbelief.  
  
“You didn’t…”  
  
“Ok _, technically_ , I didn’t. Helen did.” Alec groaned, letting his head fall backward, “hear me out. His name is Alan; he works as a social worker, which means he’s pretty smart. _And_ Helen showed me a picture: the guy’s pretty hot.”  
   
Alec shook his head through her rant, keeping himself from banging his head onto the desk. At her last statement, he widened her eyes at her and gaped at her like a fish out of water. When he finally regained the power of tongue, he used it to scoff again. Loudly.  
  
“Helen showed you a _picture_?! Do you even hear yourself?”  
  
“Come on, Alec,” Aline whined, “can’t you, at least, give it a try?”  
  
He looked up at the heavens, as if he was trying to summon some kind of force that would help him deal with Aline. The women in his life were, for some weird reasons, always trying to get involved in his personal life. When his mother wasn’t singing his praises to some senator’s son during mundane events, Helen and Aline were trying to set him up with one of their friends. Isabelle dragged him to bars and introduced him to every guy she deemed worthy, not caring about their sexual orientation. Even Lydia had done it. They’d go at coffee shops and she’d point at guys, asking him if he’d sleep with them.  
  
Alec pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.  
  
“I’ve already given it a try, Ali. Twice.”  
  
“You sure?” Aline asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
“Yeah,” Alec nodded, still looking at his cousin in disbelief, “I’m sure.”  
  
She blinked at him a couple of times, then shrugged as if it was no big deal.  
  
“Well, you know, what they say: _third time is the charm._ ” Alien said in a singsong voice, waggling her eyebrows.  
  
“And in baseball, the player’s out when he misses the third strike,” Alec retorted, clicking his tongue as he mimicked swinging a baseball bat.  
  
Aline looked at him blankly before shaking her head.  
  
“Yeah, you started talking about sport and my mind went blank.”  
  
Alec rolled his eyes before grabbing a folder off his desk and flickering through it. He almost smirked when he heard Aline let out a loud sigh.  
  
“Come on, Alec. Just consider it, alright?”  
  
“Already considered it. I’m busy tomorrow night,” he retorted, not looking up for the case that he had already solved, “and all other nights that year, for that matter.”  
  
“I organize your daily life,” Aline deadpanned, “you’re not _that_  busy.”  
  
“Goodbye Ali,” Alec declared loudly, putting an end to the conversation.  
  
Pursing her lips, Aline drummed her fingers against the armchair before standing up from the couch.  
  
“Fine,” she let out, “I’ll see you later.”  
  
Alec looked up from his ‘ _work’_ to see Aline walk out to gather her stuff. As she was going to disconnect her tablet, the desk phone rang. Frowning, she looked toward Alec’s office, the latter too busy pretending to be working to notice anything else. With a sigh, she let her purse fall back onto her desk and picked up the phone.  
  
“This is Alec Lightwood’s office, Aline speaking. How can I help you?”  
  
Leaning against her desk, she nodded as she listened to her interlocutor, playing with the hire of the phone.  
  
“I’m going to put you on hold for a minute, if you don’t mind. Alright, thank you. Good evening to you too, ma’am.”  
  
Settling the phone on the desk, she buzzed the intercom, waiting for him to answer.  
  
“ _What, now?”_  
  
“Leo’s school principal on line 2 for you, boss.”  
  
From where she was standing, Aline could see Alec look up from the folder and frown at her. She shrugged. He sat up.  
  
“ _Alright, thanks.”_  
  
Alec waited for Aline to leave before picking up the phone. Clearing his throat, he brought the phone to his ear.  
  
"Hello, this is Alec Lightwood… Yes, this is him… Wait- he did _what?_ ”

* * *

  
Clary yawned loudly, locking her classroom. Combing back her hair with her fingers, she twirled her red hair into a bun and stuck her pencil into it to hold it. As much as she loved teaching, her favourite part of the day was getting home and sharing ice cream with Simon while watching a bad horror movie. Walking toward her mother’s office to tell her she was done and going home, Clary frowned when she noticed a boy sitting in front of the closed door. As she got closer, the redhead recognized the boy as one of her students.  
  
“Leo?” Clary called, smiling when the blonde boy startled.  
  
Turning around to the sound of his name, he flashed her a small smile when her gaze settled on her. He waved at her.  
  
“Hey, Ms Fray!”  
  
“What are you still doing here? Are you waiting for your parents?” Clary asked, settling next to him.  
  
Leo lost his smile and looked down at his feet, his legs swinging above the floor. Clary tilted her head to the side, trying to catch his gaze.  
  
“I got in a fight.” Leo muttered, not looking up.  
  
“Did you?” The redhead asked in disbelief, and a bit of confusion.  
  
Leo Lightwood wasn’t a troublesome child. He was quite attentive and enthusiast about his classes, for what she knew. Now that she was closer, she could see the starting of a black eye and his swelling cheek  
  
“Why did you got into a fight?” Clary inquired.  
  
He shrugged, muttering something she didn’t understand under his breath. With a sigh, Clary brushed back his hair and gently grabbed his chin, turning his head toward her. She winced at the bruise.  
  
“You need to put ice on that.”  
  
She let go of his face and got up as the office door opened. She watched as both her mother and a tall man she assumed was Leo’s father shook hands. Clary cleared her throat, indicating her presence. Jocelyn turned, startled and shot her a small smile. She put a hand on the man’s arm and waved in her direction:  
  
“Mr Lightwood, I’d like you to meet our art teacher, Clary Fray. Clary, this is Alec Lightwood, Leo’s father.”  
  
Clary smiled at the dark haired man and held out a hand.  
  
“Nice to meet you.”  
  
“You too,” Alec shook her head, returning the smile, “wish it would’ve been under better circumstances.”  
  
Clary winced, muttering a small ‘ _yeah’_ under her breath. Alec lost his smile as he looked down at his son, the latter cowering in his chair. With a sigh, he crouched down to grab Leo’s backpack and nudged his knee.  
  
“Come on, little man. Let’s go home.”  
  
Leo groaned and slid out of his chair.  
  
“Bye, Mrs Garroway. Bye, Ms Fray,” he muttered.  
  
“See you tomorrow, Leo,” Clary gave him a small smile, waving.  
  
Alec got back to his feet and nodded to both women, before leading the small boy out of the school building. Crossing her arms against her chest, Clary turned to her mother and frowned.  
  
“What happened?”  
  
With a tired sigh, Jocelyn ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
“Leo Lightwood broke Jonathan Morgenstern’s nose.”

 

* * *

  
Max sat at the kitchen counter, drawing pad on one side and coffee cup to go on the other. When the younger Lightwood wasn’t busy with college lectures or night shifts at  _Pandemonium,_ Max worked on a comic book he had started with some of his friends. Somehow, he managed to conciliate college classes, bartending and drawing. While he had blamed his mother’s organizing and controlling habits when he was younger, knowing how to organize his time had come handy lately.  
  
The rattling of keys made him look up from his work. Seeing his own set of keys blocking the door lock, Max sighed and saved his work before walking to the door. After a quick look through the peephole, Max frowned and opened the door. To be faced with his nephew’s bruised face.  
  
“Wow, what happened to your face, Rocky?”  
  
Leo just shrugged and walked into the loft, muttering something under his breath. Max looked back at the door opening, where Alec was standing, a tired look on his face. As if he was expecting the question, Alec raised a hand.  
  
“Don’t even ask.”  
  
“Wha- ‘ _don’t even ask?!’_ What the hell happened?” Max whispered, his frown deepened.  
  
Alec gave him a shrug and walked into the place, following his son. His jaw clenched, Max rolled his eyes and closed the door before going back to the kitchen. Leo was sitting at the counter while Alec had his head stuck into the fridge. Narrowing his eyes at his older brother’s turned back, Max slid back into his chair and poked Leo’s side, leaning in to whisper into Leo’s ear.  
  
“You know, you can tell me what happened. I won’t tell your father.”  
  
“ _Max!”_ Alec snapped, closing the fridge with his foot, “Seriously.”  
  
Max mouthed ‘what’ at him, raising his hands before turning back to Leo and throwing him a wink. Alec rolled his eyes and got an icepack out of the freezer. He wrapped a towel around the ice and put it on the table, along with a piece of raw meat, much to Leo and Max’s disgust. Alec chose to ignore both of them.  
“Put this on your hand and this on your face,” he instructed, pointing to the ice and raw meat.  
  
“I’m not going to put this on my face!” Leo protested, “Can’t I put the ice on instead?”  
  
Alec sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration before leaning on the counter and staring Leo down.  
  
“You _will_ put this on your face if you want your eye to go back to normal,” he insisted.  
  
With a pout, Leo reluctantly brought the meat to his face, wincing in disgust and pain when it came in contact with his face. Max drummed his fingers against the counter before closing his laptop and sliding out of his chair. Alec went to open the cupboard, got a box of cookies out of it and slid it in front of him. Leo looked up, a confused frown on his face. Alec smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.  
  
“Come on, go to your room. I’ll come in later to wrap your hand before we leave for your _abuelos’_.”  
  
Alec watched with an amused smile as Leo slid out of his chair, shouldered his bag and piled his snack and the ice pack in his arms, slowly walking to his room to make sure none of it would fall out. Max followed the small boy to the room and opened the door for him. Letting out a yawn, Alec sat down at the counter, rubbing his face with both hands before crossing his arms and letting his head fall onto them.  
  
He lifted his head when he felt something collide with his arm. He frowned down at the fresh bottle of beer before looking up at his younger brother. Smirking, the latter held out his bottle in front of him. Rolling his eyes, Alec sat up and clank the neck of his bottle with his. While Max opened his bottle and took a sip of it, Alec kept playing with, making it slide from hand to hand.  
  
“So,” Max asked, gulping down his drink, “what happened?”  
  
“I don’t _fucking_ know,” Alec sighed, “I got called at the principal’s office and got told my son had gotten into a fight and broken some kid’s nose.”  
  
Max almost choked as he took another gulp of beer. Alec waited patiently until his younger brother caught his breath and for his face to regain his natural colour. Max wiped his mouth and cleared his throat.  
  
“ _Leo broke someone’s nose?!”_ he croaked out. At his brother’s nod, he raised his eyebrows and added, “How? _Why?_ ”  
  
He shrugged and shook his head, still playing with his cold bottle of beer.  
  
“Like I said, _I_ _don’t fucking know.”_  
  
Alec covered his yawn with a hand before shaking his head and stretching his arms over his head, wincing when his shoulders pop. Letting them fall back onto his side, he began rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Did you finish Leo’s gift?”  
  
“Yeah, I wrapped it and put it on your desk,” Max replied distractingly, before looking up at the older man, “ _Wait_ , your son got into a fight and you’re going to give him a gift? I know you’re not used to Leo getting into trouble but I don’t think you’re doing this punishment thing right, dude.”  
  
Alec shot him a deadpan look, letting a breath through his nose.  
  
“What do you expect me to do? Cancel his birthday?”  
  
“Technically, it isn’t his birthday yet. His actual birthday is on Friday,” Max argued, pointing his bottle to Alec, “And you’re his father, you can make up whatever punishment you want.”  
  
“I can’t cancel it, it’s tradition. Plus, Mom would suspect something’s wrong if I do. “  
_It_ was tradition. Each year, a couple of days before Leo’s birthday, they would have dinner at their parents and give Leo his gifts. Then, Alec and Leo would go camp on his birthday and during the weekend following it.  
  
“I’m sorry, are you planning to not tell Mom that her only grandson got into a fight?” Max asked, his eyes wide opened and an eyebrow cocked.  
  
At Alec’s blank stare, he rolled his eyes and shrugged, taking a sip of his, now, warm beer.  
  
“Whatever, your funeral, bro.”

 

* * *

  
  
Jace was the one who greeted them at the door. He frowned down at Leo’s bandaged head and the pirate eye patch he was wearing to hide his bruise. Jace looked up at Alec and cocked an eyebrow, the latter shook his head and shot him a glare. Max wasn’t much help : he stood between the two, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Jace let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.  
  
“I don’t even won’t to know,” he muttered, pushing the door open, “ _Mom! They’re here!”_ he called.  
  
All three boys entered the house, discarding their shoes and jackets while Jace went back to the living room, throwing himself in the couch. Alec snorted and shook his head at the younger man’s behaviour. He heard a door open and close, recognizing the familiar voices of his mother and sister. Alec’s eyes widened in a moment of panic when he saw Isabelle follow Maryse out of the kitchen, playing with an apple. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he hadn’t smelled anything burning when they had come in. Plus, Maryse had enough common sense to not let Isabelle near a working stove.  
  
Alec ignored the look Max was giving him and grinned back at his mother when she waved at them. For the first time since he had picked him up from school, Leo smiled. Leaving his father’s side, he rushed in his grandmother’s opened arms and laughed when she pecked his neck. Maryse stood up with a groan, carrying the small boy as she did so.  
  
“You’re getting too big for me to carry around.”  
  
“Are you saying I’m getting fat?” Leo gasped, faking outrage.  
  
“No,” Maryse chuckled, pinching his hip, “I’m saying you’re growing up and – what’s up with the eye patch?”  
  
Leo lost his smile and turned to his father, his eyes showing the same panic Alec was feeling. Beside him, Max stiffened a laugh, which earned him a look from Isabelle. Alec cleared his throat.  
  
“Uh, they’ve got this… play at school. They’re planning to do a Peter Pan play on Christmas, Leo got cast as a pirate. He’s really dedicated to the role,” Alec said, inwardly congratulating himself from coming up with a shitty excuse without stuttering.  
  
Max covered his smirk with a fist and faked a cough. Maryse hummed, watching the two through narrowed eyes. Alec plastered a smile and didn’t flinch under the weight of her stare. He let out a sigh of relief when she turned her stare to Leo.  
  
“Is that so?”  
  
The blonde boy nodded frantically, making Max guffaw. His jaw clenched, Alec hit his youngest brother’s back. He stopped him from falling on his face by wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  
  
“I’m sorry, weren’t you _choking_?” Alec asked, frowning in fake concern.  
  
Max nodded and pushed his arm away, rolling his shoulders back.  
  
“Yeah,” he croaked out before clearing his throat, “Yeah, I was. Thanks.”  
  
“Pleasure,” Alec hissed through gritted teeth, sending the younger man a glare.  
  
Max nodded again before taking a couple of steps away from his brother. Isabelle watched the exchange with a frown on her face while munching on her apple. Maryse rolled her eyes and adjusted her hold on Leo.  
  
“Why don’t we leave these idiots and go wait for Helen and Aline in the kitchen? You’ll be my taster.”  
  
Leo’s smile reappeared as he nodded again, enthusiastically chatting about his day – minus the fight – as they walked away. Sighing, Alec went into the living room and dropped into an armchair, watching with a smirk as Max went to sit as far away from him as possible. The younger man pushed Jace’s feet off the couch, ignoring his brother’s groan of protests as he sat down.  
  
Isabelle plopped down on the armrest of Alec’s chair, apple in her mouth. Leering at Max’s attire with a frown, she took a huge bite of the fruit, munching on it loudly before she swallowed it.  
  
“When did you start dressing like a freaking _hipster?”_  
  
Alec couldn’t help his chuckle when Max yelped in outrage, inspecting his clothes while Jace cackled. Max was wearing a flannel button-down, a black shirt underneath it, dark jeans that matched with his black beanie, worn-out red converses and his usual, too-big-for-his-face glasses. While he hadn’t meant to, Max was sporting a really _hispster-ish_ Rolling his sleeves, Max leaned into his couch and raised his eyebrows.  
  
“Please, I dressed like this… before it was cool,” he said in a deadpan tone.  
  
Isabelle let out a shriek of disgust, yelling ‘ _he’s one of them’_ before throwing the core of her apple at him. Max jumped out of the couch when it collided with his cheek, making Alec and Jace roar of laughter. Max frantically wiped his cheek with his sleeve, a grimace of disgust plastered on his face.  
  
_“I can’t believe you just did that!”_  
  
“I can’t believe you just _say_ that,” Isabelle retorted.  
  
His jaw clenched, Max threw the core back at her, the latter falling onto Alec’s lap to avoid it. Alec wrapped his arms around her waist, restraining her from jumping on their youngest brother. Max was smirking at her, waggling his eyebrows while she squirmed in Alec’s arms. Narrowing her eyes at him, Isabelle grabbed the pillow behind Alec’s back and threw it at Max, to which he responded by throwing his beanie at her. Jace watched, with amusement, as they kept throwing things and jabs at each other, his arms crossed while Alec rolled his eyes, his jaw clenched as he tightened his hold around Isabelle.  
  
That was the moment Robert chose to enter the room. Unfazed by either of his children’s behaviours, he sighed before letting out a sharp whistle, putting an end to the argument. Stiffening a snort at their winces, he turned to Isabelle and Max, simply cocking an eyebrow.  
  
“Max started it-“  
  
“Are you _fucking_ kidding me?! _She_ threw her fucking apple core at me!”  
  
“Aye, _por favor-_ “  
  
Robert let out another whistle, making them all cover their ears.  
  
“I don’t care _who_ started _what,_ I’m putting an end to it. God, you’re both adults: act like it,” he declared before turning to Alec, the latter losing his amused grin, “I’ll need to talk about the Walker case with you, when you’ll have a moment.”  
  
Swallowing his groan of protest, Alec gave his father a nod as Isabelle leaned onto his chest, a scowl on her face.  
  
“Are we really going to talk about _work_ today?”  
  
“No, Alec and I are going to talk about work. You’re not included in the ‘ _we’,”_ Robert retorted, “But you and you are going to set the table, though,” he added, pointing to Isabelle, then Max.  
  
“ _What?! Why?”_ Both exclaimed, equally outraged. Alec snorted. At least, they seemed to be agreeing on something.  
  
“Because I told you so,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Come on, get to it. Dinner’s almost ready.”  
  
Both groaned, taking their times to get up from their respective places. Pouting, Isabelle crossed her arms around herself and buried her face in Alec’s chest. The latter cooed at her before sitting straight and pinching her side to force to get up. Whining, she jumped off his lap and turned to glare at him, the latter responding with a grin. Running her fingers through her hair, she ran to catch up with Max and jumped onto his back. With a snort, Alec got up from his seat and looked at his father, the latter looking back at him expectantly.  
  
“I’ll be right with you, Dad,” Alec shot him a small smile as he sat down next to Jace, the blonde frowning in confusion at him, “I just need to talk about something with Jace, here.”  
  
At that, the blonde’s frown deepened, his head cocked to the side. Sighing, Robert nodded and made his way back to his office. Alec waited to hear the door slam shut before he punched Jace in the shoulder. Swallowing a yell of pain, the younger man grabbed his arm and turned to glare at Alec, the latter undeterred by it.  
  
“What _the fuck_ was that for, you freaking asshole?” Jace hissed through clenched teeth.  
  
“What are you teaching my son?” Alec retorted, ignoring the question.  
  
“What _the hell_ are you on?” the blonde retorted, staring at the older man as if he was crazy, “I’m teaching your son judo, like I’m paid to do. Or _not_ paid to do in your case, the fuck.”  
  
“If you’re teaching him ‘ _judo’,_ how come he broke another kid’s nose? Wait, did he high-kicked him in the face?”  
  
“ _Leo broke someone’s nose_?” Jace shrieked, his eyes wide-opened, “Wow.”  
  
With an eye roll, Alec slapped the back of his head, ignoring the other man’s glare.  
  
“ _Jace,_ that is not the point,” he hissed.  
  
“Alright, alright,” he let out a sigh, holding his hands up, “I might’ve been teaching Leo a bit of self defence.”  
  
His eyes wide-opened, Alec couldn’t restrain himself as he slapped the back of his head again, deaf to his wincing and cussing.  
  
“Why the hell are you teaching Leo self defence??”  
  
“Have you seen your son?” Jace retorted, his eyebrows up, “He looks like a freaking _Oompa Loompa._ He needs to know to how to defend himself _.”_  
  
“ _He’s ten!”_  
  
_“_ Still,” Jace muttered, scooting away from Alec, afraid he would receive another slap.  
  
The latter let out a groan and crossed his arms, his eyes closed as he leaned into the couch. Jace watched him, assessing if it was for him to relax. Eventually, the blonde let out a sigh and mimicked his brother’s posture, clearing his throat.  
  
“So… Leo got into a fistfight, uh?”  
  
“Yup.”  
  
“And you blatantly lied to Mom about it?”  
  
“Yup.”  
  
Jace snorted and propped his feet onto the coffee table.  
  
“Damn. You’ve got a death wish, dude.”  
  
Letting out a sigh, Alec snapped his eyes opened and threw him a glare  
  
“So I’ve been told,” he muttered.

* * *

  
Dinner was in full blast, plates of food being exchanged while people talked about their days. Leo was laughing and talking as if the fight hadn’t happened. Actually, it was the most Leo had talked since coming home. Alec couldn’t help but smile as he watched the small boy struggle with his meat while squirming away from Aline, the latter poking his side and cackling. Rolling his eyes, Alec put down his fork and pulled Leo’s chair closer to him, ignoring Aline’s pout.  
  
Clearing her throat, Maryse put down her cutlery down and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, and asked that dreaded question.  
  
“Anything’s new at work?”  
  
Alec took it as his cue to fill his mouth, so he wouldn’t have to talk, glaring at his younger brother when Max smirked knowingly at him. Somehow, whenever their parents asked about their work lives, the subject often transitioned to their personal lives. Or in Alec’s case, lack of personal life. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw everyone looking at Isabelle. The latter shrugged and went about how she would be working on night shifts after her week off, bragging about now being able to sleep in. Alec snorted when Jace and Isabelle exchanged an high-five, earning eye rolls from both of their parents.  
  
Helen told them about the zoo outing the social center was currently organizing for the younger kids, insisting on how a certain Alan would be accompanying them. Alec responded with an eye roll and stuffed more food in his mouth when all eyes turned to him. Deciding to ignore her eldest son’s odd behaviour, Maryse cleared her throat and turned to Jace.  
  
“What about you? Anything interesting happened at work?”  
  
“Not really. Unless you think that being named manager of the new sport club that just opened downtown _interesting,”_ Jace replied, hiding his sly grin under his glass of wine.  
  
“ _Jace,_ that is amazing!” Maryse interrupted  
  
“Well done, big bro!” Max acknowledged, lifting his beer in congratulations.  
  
Sitting next to him, Isabelle squealed and began to jump up and down in her chair, earning a chuckle from the blond. Leo watched, unimpressed, as compliments were flying from all around the table and crossed his arms. His silence attracted all gazes to him. The small boy pursed his lips and lifted a shoulder.  
  
“Should I congratulate you when you’re trying to outshine me on _my day?”_  
  
Alec restrained a laugh while Max cackled, waggling his eyebrows to Jace. The blond faked an innocent expression; his eyes wide opened as he put on his heart and held out the other.  
  
“I didn’t mean any offence, m’lord. I just wanted to share my wonderful news with the rest of my loved ones, with the hope it’ll make your day merrier. Please, be kind, m’lord, and allow to rejoice all-together.”  
  
From the corner of his eye, Alec could see his mother cover her mouth to hide her grin while his father was shaking his head at Jace’s theatrics, his eyebrows raised. He watched as Leo narrowed his eyes at his uncle, humming as he thought while the others watched with baited breath. Finally, Leo gave a nod.  
  
“I’ll allow it, good ser,” He, then, got up on his chair and raised his glass of sparkling cider, “ _To Jace!”_  
  
_“To Jace_!” The entire table echoed, clinking their glasses all together.  
  
Putting down his glass, Alec helped Leo sit back down. He restrained a groan when Maryse’s gaze fell on him and grabbed his glass of wine, trying to hide behind it. From the corner of his eye, he could see her folding her napkin before placing it on her lap. Letting out a curse when Maryse cleared her throat, Alec took another gulp and inwardly braced himself.  
  
“Alec, anything new?”  
  
He hummed, taking his sweet time to swallow the wine in his mouth as every head turned to him. Nodding, Alec put down his glass and cleared his throat.  
  
“Yeah, I finally closed the Walker case today, so that’s cool.”  
  
Maryse narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for him to continue. Alec stared back at his mother, shooting her a grin before he loudly clapped his hands and placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder.  
  
“Alright! It’s getting late already, should we bring out the cake?”  
  
His grin widened when Leo nodded, ignoring Isabelle’s groan and Aline’s scoff. Jace and Helen got up and began to clear the table, Alec following close behind to prepare the cake. While Jace took out small plates of the cupboard, Helen busied herself with clearing the plates, looking up at his arrival.  
  
“So… what I’m supposed to tell Alan?” The blonde woman asked, a sly smile stretching her lips.  
  
“That I’m not interested, thank you very much,” Alec muttered, carefully putting the candles on the cake.  
  
Helen sighed and shook his head at his quick refusal, while Jace watched the exchange with a frown on his face.  
  
“Who the hell is Alan?”  
  
“No one you need to worry about. Do you have a lighter?”  
  
Jace didn’t even blink at the abrupt change of subject, took out something out of his back pocket and threw it at Alec, the latter catching it without looking up. Helen rolled her eyes at both boys and took the plates out of Jace’s hands before walking into the living room. As soon as he was done lighting the candles, Alec instructed to go and turn off the lights. As soon as he reappeared in the living room with the cake, they all began chanting ‘ _happy birthday’_ to Leo, the latter grinning widely and up on his chair when his father placed it in front of him. Alec restrained a laugh when the small boy got slightly impatient as they began to sing in Spanish. Much to Leo’s relief, the chanting quickly came to an end. Alec went to stand behind his son and placed a hand on his chair to make sure it wouldn’t topple off.  
  
“Come on, make a wish,” he whispered in his ear.  
  
Leo closed his eyes and, after a few seconds of thinking, took a deep breath, blowing all the candles in one-go before he took a dramatic blow at the whistles and claps. After turning the lights back on, Alec helped him sit back down before moving to get the pile of gifts that had been left in a corner of the living room while Jace moved the cake to the end of the table. Plopping back next to Leo, he cleared his throat and handed him the first gift, a simple white envelope.  
  
“Alright, first gift is from… Izzy.”  
  
Leo took the envelope out of his father’s hands and carefully opened it, emptying the contents of it on the table. His eyes lit up when he lifted one of the cards and showed it to the rest of the table.  
  
“Threes entries to the Hayden Planetarium! Thanks, Aunt Izzy.”  
  
The latter blew him a kiss from over the table, smiling at his enthusiasm.  
  
“On a scale from _Good_ to _Amazingly Awesome_ , how does this rank?”  
  
Leo hummed, making a show of thinking it over before lifting a shoulder.  
  
“I guess it’s a _Pretty Cool_ ”  
  
Isabelle pouted at that, apparently unsatisfied at the ranking. She kicked Jace’s leg when the latter snickered. Hiding a smirk, Alec took a wrapped round-object and made it twirl on his finger, cocking an eyebrow at Jace.  
  
“ _Golly,_ I wonder what this could be,” Alec deadpanned.  
  
Next to him, Max snorted into his glass and muttered ‘ _golly’_ to himself. Rolling his eyes, Jace discreetly flipped him the bird. Oblivious to the exchange, Leo took the gift out of his father’s hands and tore the paper wrap, revealing a soccer ball under it. Leo’s eyes widened as he turned the ball in his hands and read each message written on it.  
  
“Dad, look: the entire NYCFC signed it!”  
  
“That _is_ cool,” Alec admitted, cocking his head to the side, “what do you think?”  
  
“It’s… _Pretty Cool,”_ the small boy agreed before the gift back to Alec.  
  
Isabelle cackled at Jace’s spluttering and protesting. Alec rolled his eyes at the two before getting out a large package out of the box. Putting it down in front to Leo, he helped the latter opening it.  
  
“This one is from… your abuelos.”  
  
“Whoa!” Leo exclaimed as soon as it opened, _“DC’s_ vintage comics! Okay, this is freaking awesome,” he added, taking out an old _Batman_ comic out of the box, flickering through it.  
  
Max jumped out of his chair, peering at the content of the package, his eyes shining with envy and… was that _drool?_  
  
“Hey Leo, could I have these when you’re done with them?”  
  
Glaring, Alec pulled Max by the back of his shirt and forced him back into his chair, ignoring his whine of protest. Taking the comic out of Leo’s hands, he put an end to his protesting with a look and put it back in the box.  
  
“Come on, you can read them later. You’ve still got two gifts to open,” he closed the package and pulled another envelope from the box, handing to Leo, “This one is from Helen and Aline.”  
  
Leo let out a dramatic sigh as he took the envelope, cocking an eyebrow at the amused couple as he felt it, trying to guess the contents before opening it.  
  
“Really, another envelope? You guys have no imagination whatsoever.”  
  
Cocking an eyebrow, Aline leaned over the table and flicked Leo’s nose, laughing when he scrunched it.  
  
“You should see what’s inside before talking.”  
  
Frowning, the small boy slowly opened the envelope, careful not to rip whatever was in there. And stared. And stared. And _stared_. Confused and slightly worried about his son’s behaviour, Alec took the envelope out of his limp hands. And stared. And stared. And Much to Aline and Helen’s amusement and his siblings’ irritation. Alec startled at Isabelle’s clear of throat.  
  
“Come on, tell us what is it already,” she moaned.  
  
Next to him, Leo blinked a few times before a wide grin appeared on his face and he began to bounce up and down on his chair.  
  
“Two Comic-Con passes.”  
  
Hell broke loose after those four words. Isabelle, Jace and Max began to fight over who would be the one to accompany Leo to San Diego, each trying to shout louder than the other, much to their parents’ annoyance. Alec turned to Helen and Aline, the two looking all smug and satisfied.  
  
“How did you get these?”  
  
Alec had been whining for a month and lamenting over the fact that he hadn’t been able to get SDCC tickets. According to Aline, they had all ran out before she could get hold of two of them. Apparently, not of them had ran out. Helen lifted a shoulder, nonchalant.  
  
“I may know someone,” the blonde said in a singsong voice.  
  
“Helen-“  
  
“Alec,” she interrupted, her tone firm, “Save it. _You’re_ _welcome_.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Alec let out a chuckle and nodded at the couple.  
  
“ _Thank you.”_  
  
Helen winked at him. Alec turned to Leo, the latter turning and returning the passes in his hands, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.  
  
“What do you think? Is it an _Amazingly Awesome_ gift?”  
  
Pursing his lips and humming in thought, Leo shrugged and turned to his father.  
  
“It’s pretty close. But I’m waiting for yours and Uncle Max’s gift. Yours are always _Amazingly Awesome,”_ he replied, waggling his eyebrows.  
  
Alec grinned down at him and ruffled his hair, neatly putting the passes in the envelope. Looking back at the rest of the table, he rolled his eyes when he noticed that his siblings were still arguing. Max was almost out of his chair, Isabelle was switching from English to Spanish and Jace was repeating whatever they were saying in a whining voice. Maryse looked like she was going to explode at any moment and Robert looked like he was ready to join the argument. Helen and Aline watched the argument from the side-lines, making bets while sipping on white wine.  
  
Clearing his throat, Alec covered Leo’s ears with his hands, licked his lips and let out a long, sharp whistle, snickering when everyone around the table – except for Leo - winced. He smirked when they all turned to him, glaring but, thankfully, silent.  
  
“First of all, you’re all idiots. Secondly, his _father_ is obviously is going to be the one to go with Leo to Comic Con, thank you very much. Therefore, your argument is completely pointless. And _finally,”_ Alec paused himself to fetch his and Max’s gift out of the box and turned to Leo, his smirk turning into a genuine smile, “Leo’s got one last gift to open before we can eat his cake.”  
  
Tilting his head to the side in curiosity, Leo took the wrapped object and let his fingers run over it before he began to open it. Max leaned over Alec, biting his bottom lip in anticipation. With a gasp, the small blond let the wrapping fall onto the floor and turned back to the two men.  
  
“You made me a _Leo The Lion_ ”  
  
The rest of the table mimicked Leo’s gasp, all of them leaning in to have a look at the book. Maryse wiped her hands with her towel and asked:  
  
“Could I have a look at it?”  
  
Leo nodded, handed it to the older woman and threw his arms around his father’s waist, burying his face in his shirt.  
  
“Thank you” Lifting his head, he threw a smile at Max and held out a fist, “thanks, Uncle Max.”  
  
Max chuckled and bumped his fist with his while Alec wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head, rubbing Leo’s back. On the end of the table, Maryse was flickering through the book, Robert leaning his chin on her shoulder as he read, a smile at the corner of his mouth. The others had stood out of their chairs, peeking over Maryse’s shoulder. The latter looked up to Alec and Max, her eyes wide opened.  
  
“Boys, this is amazing.”  
  
Both shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
“Max did the most of it. I just recounted stories I’ve told a million of times,” Alec said, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Oh please!” Max scoffed, nudging his oldest brother’s shoulder with his, “ _Mr Modesty,_ here, did the most of it. I simply put images to his words.”  
  
Isabelle hummed and looked up, her glass of wine in her hand.  
  
“Still, it looks awesome. You could make a lot of money out of it.”  
  
Alec shook his head, running his fingers through his hair while Max cocked his head to the side, seemingly thinking about it. Clearing his throat, Alec clapped his hands a couple of times and waited for everybody to get back to their seats.  
  
“Alright, the time has come for Leo to choose a winner,” he announced, waving to Leo.  
  
The latter gave his father a solemn nod and, clearing his throat, got up on his chair.  
  
“Could I have a drumroll?”  
  
They all began to frantically hit on the table, stopping at the small boy’s signal.  
  
“It’s a tie between the Comic Con passes and the _Leo the Lion_ comic!” Leo announced.  
  
Max roared in victory and exchanged high-fives with Aline and Helen while Isabelle and Jace began whining in protest. Like their parents, Alec chose to ignore them. Helping Leo down, he squeezed his hip and whispered in his ear to go thank them. He watched with an adored smile as the small blond went from person to person, hugging them. Without looking away, he slapped Max’s hand away when the latter reached for the book of comics.

 

* * *

 

Alec yawned and rubbed his eyes, before stretching his arms over his head. Groaning in satisfaction, he pulled on the knot of his tie before entering Leo’s room. He smiled as he found the small boy already in his pj’s, sitting in his bed and reading a _Batman_ Alec knocked on his door, announcing his presence. Leo looked up and bookmarked his book before putting it on his night table. Alec walked into the room and dropped onto Leo’s bed, shooting him a small smile. He nudged his leg and asked:  
  
“How’s the eye?”  
  
Leo looked down at his lap and shrugged a shoulder, playing with his fingers  
  
  
“It’s alright.”  
  
Narrowing his eyes at him, Alec pushed himself so he was sitting in the middle in the bed and crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees. He tilted his head to the side, hoping to catch his gaze.  
  
“Are you going to tell me why you got into a fight now?”  
  
“You’re going to get mad,” Leo muttered, not looking up.  
  
“Leo, I’m already mad you got into a fight,” Alec retorted, rolling his eyes, “Plus, I’m angrier at Jace for teaching you how to throw a punch.”  
  
Alec smiled when he heard Leo snorting. Sobering, he gently kicked his leg with one of his feet before crossing his legs again. Alec joined his hands and placed them under his chin.  
  
“Come on, little man, I’m listening. I promise I won’t get mad.”  
  
Leo slowly looked up and observed his father for a handful of seconds, before clearing his throat.  
  
“People were being stupid.”  
  
“You know, Leo, I’d agree with you that stupidity is a reason to punch people in the face, but I don’t know the whole story.” At Leo’s blank stare, Alec smothered a laugh and shook his head, “Professional deformation, sorry. Please, continue.”  
  
Leo sighed and shook his head at his father, to the latter’s amusement. The blonde boy shrugged again.  
  
“I don’t know, they were saying stupid stuff.”  
  
“How stupid?” Alec pressed, tilting his head to the side.  
  
“They were making fun of Mr Bane, our substitute.” Leo clarified at Alec’s confusion, “they were calling him names because of how he looks.”  
  
“What kind of names?”  
  
“At first, they called him a girl because he wears make-up. And then…” Leo stopped and threw a look at Alec, hesitating to continue,” they called him a pussy and a fag.”  
  
Alec clenched his jaw, humming. Clearing his throat, he focused on not showing the effect the words had on him and crossed his legs, resting his elbows on his thigh and putting his face in his hands.  
  
“Why did that made you so upset?” He asked quietly.  
  
“Because they were bad words and Mr Bane did nothing to deserve any of it.”  
  
Alec couldn’t help the snort that escaped his lips at the retort, reaching over to mess with Leo’s blond hair despite his protesting.  
  
“My son, the defender of men. The future lawyer.”  
  
Leo winced and brushed back his hair.  
  
“No offense, Dad but I don’t plan on becoming a lawyer. It’s boring.”  
  
Alec rolled his eyes, shaking his head at him.  
  
“First of all, I’m _very_  offended. Second of all, you’re right. He didn’t deserve to be called those names, no one does. Still, you shouldn’t have gotten into a fight about it. There are others ways to settle an argument, like talking it out.”  
  
“But the guy’s a moron,” Leo whined.  
  
“Kiddo, I’ve worked with guys that are extra-super-morons and I don’t break their noses,” Alec paused, his head tilted to the side as he added, “Even though I really want to. My point still stands, Leo. You can’t go around punching people because they’re ignorant baboons that only know how to use their fists. Be the better person, alright?”  
  
Leo let out a long sigh before nodding, pouting. Alec smiled and returned the nod, getting off the bed.  
  
“Am I going to have write him an apology letter?” he mumbled, “Usually, when Sebastian gets into a fight, he has to write another person an apology letter, but I really don’t to,” he added after seeing his father’s confused frown.  
  
“I won’t force you to write it as long as you promise to not break any stupid boy’s nose. Deal?” he proposed, holding out a fist.  
  
Smiling, Leo bumped his unharmed against his.  
  
“Deal.”  
  
“Alright! Time to sleep now,” Alec announced, holding up the covers so the small boy could slide under them. He rolled his eyes when the latter began to protest, “Come on, Leo. Don’t give me any of that crap: it’s almost mid night, it’s a school night. You should already be asleep by now. First, breath test, then lie down.”  
  
Though reluctantly, Leo blew a minty breath on his father, informing him that he had brushed his teeth. He, then, patted his pillows before laying his head on them and allowing his father to tuck him in. Alec smoothed down the blankets.  
  
“Alright?” He asked, smiling when Leo hummed the positive, “Good,” he brushed back blonds locks and pecked the boy’s forehead, “Goodnight, bud.”  
  
Leo whispered a good night, getting comfortable under his covers. Alec carefully closed the comic book he had been reading and put it down on the night table before taking his leave.  
  
“Hey Dad?”  
  
Alec’s hand hovered over the light switch before dropping to his side.  
  
“Yes, Leo?”  
  
“Are we still going camping this weekend?”  
  
Alec felt his heart skip a beat at the uncertainty he heard in his son’s voice. Plastering a smile on his face, he gave a small nod.  
  
“Of course, we are! It’s tradition. As long as your eyes are closed when I come back to check on you in ten minutes,” he added in a teasing tone.  
  
His smile became more genuine when he saw Leo’s eyes close almost immediately, the latter faking loud snores. Turning off the light, Alec walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar, and made his way to the kitchen. Yawning once more, he went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water out of it. Knowing Leo, the small boy would be up in twenty minutes, looking for an excuse to wander around the flat or whine about being thirsty and hungry.  
  
Alec eyed the bottle of beer he had been playing with earlier, his lips pursed and his fingers drumming against the door. After a couple of minutes of contemplation, Alec decided to take out another bottle of water for himself, closed the fridge and turned off the lights. As he was making his way to his bedroom, he noticed that a photo had fallen of the coffee table and was lying on the living room’s floor.  
  
Frowning, Alec cocked his head to the side, put the water down and went to pick it up, scratching his head. Bending down, he picked it up, brushing dirt off of it as he sat down, leaning against the couch. A smile stretched his lips when he recognized the smiling faces of Lydia and Isabelle. The black haired girl was standing behind the blonde, her arms around her neck and her tongue out, ready to lick Lydia’s cheek. The latter had her eyes shut tight, her nose wrinkled in disgust as she tried to squirm away from her sister-in-law, her mouth opened in a laugh.  
  
Alec let a finger run on Isabelle’s and Lydia’s frozen smiles, his heart aching for easier times. Letting out a sigh, he put the frame back onto the coffee table, resting an arm on it as he racked his fingers through his already messy hair.  
  
“So, your son broke someone’s nose today,” Alec announced, staring into Lydia’s light, blue eyes, “I honestly don’t know where he got that instinct from. It could be from you, it could be from me. He could’ve also gotten it from Izzy or Jace. Both of them are bad influences,” he muttered, “Still, it would’ve been easier if you were here, you know. Someone would’ve been here to high-five him for getting into his first fight and winning,” Alec let out a tired chuckle, rubbing his chin, “Ten years and counting,” he added, knocking against the table a couple times.  
  
Clenching his jaw, he gave another knock and nodded to himself, muttering ‘ _yeah_ ’ under his breath before getting up and heading to his room. Hopefully, everything would be better when he’d wake up tomorrow.

* * *

 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY ! If you're reading this, it means that you read that chapter until the end which makes you awesome and makes me really, really happy. Please, don't forget to leave a comment down below or just a simply kudo ! Also, remember to follow me the tumblr, @generaleiafisher to freak out about shadowhunters with me and I'll see you soon!
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> Later, you gorgeous people


	6. More of a Flower Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wild Magnus Bane appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the amazing feedback ! I can't get over how awesome all of you are, I love you and your kind comments warm my heart. Seriously, thank you. 
> 
> Without further due, here's

Alec woke up to pots clashing and doors slamming. Frowning, he slowly raised his head from his pillow, his eyes half-closed and looked at his alarm clock: _**5:45.**_ Knowing that Max had come home at 3 in the morning and didn’t have morning classes, the only person that would be making noise at this hour would be Leo. Why was he up at this hour when he could sleep for one more hour, Alec didn’t know. Now, that he was awake, he had to get up. With a groan, he wiped the drool off his cheek and slowly sat up, brushing back his hair.  
  
Getting out of his bedroom, Alec first checked that Max was still asleep, smiling as he heard him his younger sibling snore. Quietly closing the door behind him, he then walked to the kitchen to find Leo standing on a stool and rummaging through the cupboards. Cocking an eyebrow, Alec crossed his arms and cleared his throat. He winced and lunged forward when Leo lurched to the side, almost falling of his stool. Alec let out a sigh of relief when the small boy regained his balance and shot him a cheeky grin. Alec threw him a deadpan look before walking over him and picking him up before he settled him down on the floor. He closed the opened cupboards and turned to his son.  
  
“What are you doing up this early?”  
  
“I’m looking for my water-bottle,” Leo answered, hissing himself up on a chair, “ You know, the _TMNT_ one?” At his father’s blank look, Leo rolled his eyes and explained, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?”  
  
“I know what TMNT stands for, you brat,” Alec scoffed, sliding a bowl, milk and a box of cereals in front of him, “And you’ve got time to look for it, tonight. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

  
“Better safe than sorry,” Leo shrugged a shoulder, “Did I wake you?”  
  
Alec offered him a small smile and nodded, earning a wince from his son.  
  
“Sorry. Did I wake Uncle Max?”  
  
Alec snorted and shook his head, turning on the coffee maker.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, Max could sleep through the end of the world.”  
  
He grabbed a bowl for himself and went to sit next to Leo. Crossing his legs, he grabbed the small boy’s chin and turned his head toward him so he could see his face.  
  
“Your eye looks better. How does the hand feel?”  
  
Leo clenched and unclenched his bandaged hand, before shrugging.  
  
“It feels fine. Can I wear my eye patch to school, though?”  
  
Alec snorted and shook his head at him, undeterred by Leo’s puppy eyes.  
  
“You don’t need it.”  
  
“But, it looks cool!” Leo whined, milk dripping out of his mouth as he spoke. “Girls dig battle scars.”  
  
Alec nearly choked on his spoon of cornflakes at that last statement. Swallowing the food in his mouth, he wiped his chin and the corners of his mouth before he turned to Leo to do the same, ignoring his son’s protests. Clearing his throat, Alec crossed his arms against his chest and leaned back, balancing his chair onto its two back feet.  
  
“First, a black eye isn’t a battle scar. It’s just something to remind people you were stupid enough not to avoid the fist aimed to your face,” Alec admonished, his eyebrows up his hairline in disbelief. “Second, you need to spend less time with Jace.”  
  
Leo stuffed his mouth with cereals, not being much mind to his father’s rant. His mouth full, he retorted:  
  
“Does this mean fighting is okay as long as I’m smart enough to avoid the guy’s fist?  
  
“And you need to spend less time with Isabelle. Dial down the sass, smartass.”  
  
Alec was torn between being amused and offended by Leo’s behaviour. He shook at his head at the small boy’s cheeky smirk, waggling eyebrows and mischievous eyes. Biting the inside of his cheek, Alec rolled his eyes and shot a look at the clock hanging above the fridge, **6:19.** He got up from his chair, emptying his bowl in one go. After swallowing his food, Alec nodded toward Leo’s food.  
  
“You done?”  
  
Leo shook his head and began shoving spoonful after spoonful of cereals in his mouth. Wiping his mouth with the too-long sleeve of his pyjama top, he said:  
  
“Almost.”  
  
“Okay, well, you’ve got a little bit under an hour to get ready, so no rush.” Alec said, dropping his used dishes in the sink. “Thursday morning is soccer training, right?” At Leo’s nod of confirmation, he continued, “Ok, so make sure you’ve got all of your stuff. I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll leave the door unlocked, so you can come and brush your teeth and wash your face later. Cool?”  
  
Leo gave him a thumb’s up, telling him that he had processed all the information his father had dropped on him and that he was, indeed, _cool_ with it. With an amused huff, Alec ruffled his hair before taking his leave.  
  


* * *

  
  
Alec parked at the car, throwing a look at Leo as the latter unbuckled his seatbelt before the car stopped. The small boy stopped squirming and sent a toothy grin to his father, earning an eye roll from the older man. Undoing his seatbelt, Alec climbed out of the car, quickly followed by Leo, before moving to the truck and getting out a sport bag.  
  
Leo moved to snatch it out of his father’s hands, ready to bolt toward the training field. Cocking an eyebrow, Alec lifted it over his head, out of Leo’s reach much to the little boy’s despair.  
  
 _“Dad_!” Leo whined.  
  
“Sure you can play soccer with that hand?” Alec wondered, lifting the bag higher and watching with amusement when Leo started jumping up and down.  
  
“Yeah, it’s not like I need my hands to play,” Leo retorted, rolling his eyes at the absurdness of the question.  
“Fine,” he sighed  
  
Alec dropped the bag, which Leo caught with a small _‘humph’_ before glaring up at his father. Alec smirked at him, closed the truck and leaned against the car, his hands stuffed in his pockets.  
  
“You got everything you need?”  
  
Leo gave him a small nod, which he returned. He pushed himself off the car and went to kneel in front of his son. Brushing back the blonde locks that fell onto the boy’s forehead; Alec tilted his head to the side, keeping his gaze locked with Leo’s.  
  
“Remember our deal?” Again, Leo nodded, “Let’s try not to get into fights or break noses today, aright?”  
  
“Even if people are being stupid?”  
  
“ _Especially_ if people are being stupid, be the smarter one. Beside, the pen is mightier than the sword.”  
  
Leo tilted his head to the side and frowned his eyebrows in fake confusion.  
  
“Does that mean I can chuck pens at people if they’re being stupid?”  
  
Alec leaned back on his heels, narrowed his eyes at the small boy, swallowing a laugh, and flicked Leo’s nose.  
  
“You know exactly what I mean, you punk. Don’t throw punches or _pens_ at people, got it?” He held out a fist, which Leo bumped with his unharmed hand. “Alright, now go.”  
  
Alec dropped a kiss on the top of his head and watched as Leo went running toward the field. He frowned when Leo stopped and ran back to him. Alec held out his arms, ready to catch him if he were to fall, unbalanced by his bag on his back and the one in his arms. Thankfully, he didn’t.  
  
“We’re out of ‘mallows.” Leo told him, slightly out of breath.  
  
“ _What?_ No, we’re not.”  
  
“Yes, we are,” Leo protested, throwing looks behind him.  
“Leo, come on,” Alec sighed, “how can we be out of marshmallows? The last bag I bought was as big as you.”  
  
“Didn’t see them when I was looking for my water-bottle,” he shrugged, “pretty sure Aunt Izzy took the rest of it home.”  
  
“Of course she did,” Alec muttered, rolling his eyes, then louder, he added, “Aright, I’ll buy a bag on my way home. Now go, or you’re really going to be late. “  
  
Leo flashed him a grin before rushing back to the field. With a sigh, Alec stood back, dusting his pants and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked back to his car.  
  
“Mr Lightwood!”  
  
Alec twirled around at the call of his name to see the redhead principal walking toward him. With a smile, he walked up to meet her, a hand held out.  
  
“Mrs Garroway, I don’t believe Leo has had the time to break the nose of someone, has he?”  
  
The older woman let out a small laugh before shaking his hand.  
  
“Not that I know,” Letting go of his hand, Jocelyn crossed her arms, “Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you about what happened yesterday. In my office?”  
  
Pursing his lips, Alec shot a quick look at his watch :  _ **7:56.**_ While his first meeting wasn’t before 10, he liked to arrive at the office early, to prepare his day and re-read his clients’ files. With a sigh, Alec looked back at Jocelyn and smiled.  
  
“Sure. Lead the way. “  
  
With a nod, Jocelyn twirled around and walked toward the school building, Alec at her heels. The latter held the door opened and was rewarded by a smile as they both walked in. Jocelyn tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stuffed her hands in her pockets.  
  
“So, what’s this about?” Alec asked, his hands clasped behind his back as they made their way to her office.  
  
“Mr Morgenstern, Jonathan’s father, and his wife wanted to have a talk with you about the fight.” Jocelyn sighed.  
  
Though frowning in confusion, Alec gave her a small nod and kept quiet. When arriving in front of her closed office, Jocelyn gave a soft knock on the door before pushing it open. Sitting in front of her desk were a man and woman. The man was bald, wearing a dark suit and was almost as tall as Alec. Something about him irked him. The woman beside him seemed to be his opposite. She was wearing a white knee-length dress, her blonde had been put in a bun and gold jewellery hanged from her wrists and neck.  
  
“Mr Lightwood, please meet Valentine Morgenstern, and his wife, Julia. Mr and Mrs Morgenstern, this is Alec Lightwood, Leo’s father.”  
  
The blonde woman shot him a polite smile, shaking his hand. Her husband, then, took her place, squeezing his hand tightly. Alec kept smiling, no showing any sign of discomfort. Morgenstern scowled before sitting back in his chair. Alec had to stop himself from sticking his tongue at him.  
  
“And this is Mr. Bane, our new Fourth Grade teacher.”  
  
Alec had to do a double take when he noticed the other person in the office. How hadn’t he noticed him earlier, Alec didn’t know but he definitely noticed him now. The man stood behind the desk, his hands clasped in front of him. Alec could notice the red nail polish on his fingers. He wore a dark button-up that matched his dark jeans and a dark red blazer that matched his _DocMartens_. His dark hair fell back onto his forehead, exposing his earing-covered ear and his green eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner. Green eyes that were staring right at him.  
  
Alec startled out of his trance to see everyone staring at him, expectant. Clearing his throat, he shook the hand Magnus held out, making sure not to linger as he pulled back.  
  
“Nice to meet you,” Alec said with a small smile, making he didn’t get lost in his eyes again.  
  
“You too,” he retorted, smirking.  
  
Alec cleared his throat again before sitting down next to the Morgenstern. Jocelyn took her seat behind her desk and Magnus sobered, straightening his posture as he stood beside her.  
  
“Well, Mr Morgenstern, why did you feel it necessary to call on a meeting this early?”  
  
“I call in this meeting because I wanted to give you a warning before you find out that I’m going to sue your incompetent staff for not coming to the assistance of a young boy when he was attacked by another student.”  
  
“ _What?”_ Jocelyn snapped, straightening in her chair.  
  
Clenching his jaw, Alec restrained himself from groaning. It was way too early for him to be dealing with this. Letting out a breath, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.  
  
“Well, I really appreciate the warning. Really, I do. On what grounds are you deciding to sue this school’s staff?”  
  
Obviously, Morgenstern wasn’t expected him to reply, judging by his taken aback expression. Alec plastered a smile on his face, the small smile he put on when he was dealing with conflicting clients for hours. Licking the corner of his mouth, Morgenstern rested his elbows on his knees and leaned in.  
  
“I’m suing this school for letting a _bully_ breaking the nose of my son, an innocent victim who had no way of defending himself, without blinking. I’m suing them for incompetence and favouritism.”  
  
“ _Favouritism_?” Alec repeated, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
“Well, it is a well known fact that Mr Bane is an old friend of our dear principal. She’s been so adamant on protecting him and excusing his incompetence,” Morgenstern argued, waving in Jocelyn and Magnus’ direction.  
  
Alec hummed, restraining from laughing at the scowl of disgust plastered on the redhead’s face. Tilting his head to the side, he focused his attention back onto Morgenstern.  
  
“Mr Morgenstern, have you met your son’s art teacher, by any chances?”

  
The bald man let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance. How is it relevant?”  
  
“Well, they look _so much_ alike, it’s uncanny. It’s almost like they’re sisters. Well, more like mother and daughter, but still,” he lifted a shoulder, “If you were to talk about Mrs Garroway favouring one of her teachers, I’d think you’d talk about her daughter.”  
  
From the corner of his eye, Alec could see an amused smirk forming on Magnus’ face. He didn’t let it distracted him too much. He shot a patient smile at Morgenstern, the latter clenching his jaw and gritting his teeth.  
  
“I _still_ don’t see how it’s relevant. Her daughter wasn’t the one in the room when the fight broke.”  
  
Again, Alec hummed and nodded, keeping his calm composure much to Morgenstern’s annoyance.  
  
“Mr Morgenstern, do you know why both of our sons had a fight?”  
  
“You mean, why your son _broke_ my son’s nose by beating him up?” Morgenstern retorted.  
  
“Not to be that guy, but Leo ended up with a black eye and I’m pretty sure he didn’t punch himself in the face. He is a smart. Quick question, though,” Alec didn’t let him the time to respond before he turned to face his son’s teacher and Mrs Garroway, “how many fights did Sebastian got in since the beginning of the year?”  
  
Jocelyn pushed back her chair and stood, going to open a file drawer and took out two folders out of it. Tucking one under her armpit, she flickered through one of it, quickly reading it before looking back.  
  
“So far, he’s been in three, the third one being the one from yesterday.”  
  
“What about Leo?”  
  
Throwing Sebastian’s folder on her desk, she opened Leo’s and scanned it before closing it.  
  
“Yesterday’s fight is the only one Leo’s ever been involved in.”  
  
“Interesting,” Alec whispered, looking back to Morgenstern, “You see, you calm my son a bully, even though _yours_ is the one who’s been involved in fights before. So I’ll ask again: do you know what the fight was about? Actually,” he held out a hand, again not letting the time to protest, “I’m sorry, I’m going to ask you another question: what do you think about Mr Bane’s appearance?”  
  
Alec regretted asking his question the second he saw Magnus flinch when Morgenstern turn around and scanned the teacher from head to toe, a snarl on his face. He couldn’t help the small smile when he saw the other man push back his shoulders and stare back at Morgenstern, an eyebrow cocked and his face void of any expression. He let out a sigh of relief when Morgenstern turn back to him.  
  
“He’s kinda… shiny. A bit too flamboyant in my opinion,” he answered, shrugging a shoulder.  
  
“ _Flamboyant?_ Interesting term,” Alec said, swaying in his chair, “Would you, by any chance, call Mr Bane a ‘faggot’ or say that he ‘looked like a girl? See, because that’s what your son said, yesterday. Those were the comments that caused the fight between Sebastian and Leo, which Mr Bane stopped rather quickly.”  
  
He smirked as he watched Morgenstern splutter under the teacher and Jocelyn’s amused gazes.  
  
“On what ground are you making those accusations?”  
  
 _Oh, how quickly the tables have turned._  
  
 _“_ On the grounds that I actually had a conversation with my son about it. I’m sure that if you were to ask other non-biased parties, they would say the same thing as Leo. Now, next time you want to sue someone, I’ll suggest you make sure your accusations are well founded,” Alec got up from his chair, prompting the others to do the same, “It was really nice to meet you, Mr Morgenstern. Likewise Mrs Morgenstern. Mrs Garroway, Mr Bane,” he added, nodding in the direction of the two.  
  
“Thank you again for your time, Mr Lightwood, ” Jocelyn held out a hand, a grin stretching her lips.  
  
He shot a smile and shook her hand before taking his leave. Once out of the office, Alec let a breath and checked his watch for the time, groaning when he noticed he had lost half an hour bargaining in the principal’s office. He looked up when he heard the door slam and smirked as he saw Morgenstern storm down the halls, his wife fluttering around him, trying to get him to calm down.  
  
Alec took out of his phone, sending Aline a quick text to tell her he was on his way to work.  
  
“That was impressive.”  
  
Startled, Alec turned around to be faced with his son’s teacher amused expression. The latter strolled toward him, his arm crossed and his smile stretched into a smirk. Alec blinked a few times before shaking himself out of his trance and sliding his phone back in his pocket.  
  
“Uh, yeah. Well, it’s kind of my job,” he shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
  
Alec gave himself a mental pat on the back for getting out a sentence without stuttering. The other man hummed, cocking his head to the side.  
  
“Still, I’d like to thank you. And formerly introduce myself,” he held out a hand, “Magnus Bane.  
  
“Alec Lightwood,” Alec shook his hand, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb before taking it away.  
  
“ _’Alec’?”_ He repeated, narrowing his eyes at the taller man, “Short for something?”  
  
“Alexander,” he replied automatically.  
  
Magnus hummed again, his smirk widening.  
  
“Beautiful name for a great man.”  
  
Alec found himself gaping at him, the tip of his ears reddening. Clearing his throat, he ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
“Uh, thank you, you too! I mean, you’ve got a great name, too,” he quickly caught himself, flinching inwardly, “Not that you’re not a beautiful, because you are. Trust me, you And you know what, I’m going to shut up now,”  
  
He closed his eyes and shook his head, wincing. He shouldn’t have rejoice earlier, because of course, his luck would run out. His day hadn’t officially started and Alec was already exhausted.  
  
“Dad?”  
  
 _Thank God for small favours,_ Alec thought as he reopened his eyes. Leo was standing next to him, a confused frown on his face as his eyes darted from his teacher to his father. Clearing his throat again, Alec shot the small boy a small smile.  
  
“Hey Leo, aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?”  
  
“Yeah, but I can’t have classes without a teacher. To which you’re talking right now,” Leo retorted, raising his eyebrows as he stared at Magnus to emphasize, “what about you, aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?”  
  
Alec let out a snort, ruffling Leo’s already hair, oblivious to Magnus’ amused gaze.  
  
“I’m going, you brat.”  
  
“Just go take a seat, Leo,” Magnus instructed, smiling fondly at his student, “I’ll be right there.”  
  
Leo nodded and ran down the hallways, ignoring the looks of disapproval he received from teachers. He stopped at the threshold of his classroom and turned to his father, snapping his fingers before pointing at him.  
  
“Don’t forget the ‘mallows.”  
  
Alec winked and tapped two fingers to his temple, indicating that he hadn’t forgotten. Leo smiled before walking into the room. Sighing, Alec turned back to Magnus, feeling his heart skip a beat when he noticed the other man’s stare. Brushing the hair out of his eyes, he shot him a small smile and stuffed his hand back in his pockets.  
  
“Well, it was really nice to meet you, Mr Bane.”  
  
“Magnus,” he corrected, “And you too, Alexander.”  
  
Alec nodded as he watched the teacher walk down the hallways to his classroom. Shaking his head, he rubbed his face and walked out of the school building. It was only when he was in car that Alec realized Magnus had called him by his full name. Magnus had called him by his full name and it didn’t bother as much as he thought he would.  
  
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Magnus walked in, scanning the room for Leo. The latter was sitting on a table, his back to him while he was discussing him with his friends. Walking to the small boy, he tapped his shoulder and smiled when he turned to him.  
  
“Hey Mr Bane, what’s up?”  
  
“Just have a quick question to ask about your father,” though frowning, Leo nodded, “Is he more a flower or cologne man?”  
  
His frown deepened as he turned completely so he could face him. Shaking his head, Leo lifted a shoulder.  
  
“I don’t know, flowers I guess. Why?”  
  
Magnus’ smiled widened as he squeezed his shoulder.  
  
“Just curious. Go take a seat, dear. Class is about to start.”

 

* * *

  
  
Alec knew something was wrong the second he stepped out of the elevator. He didn’t know what but something ticked him off. Maybe it was the dozen of texts he had received from Aline, even though he had warned her he would be late. Maybe it was the way people stared at him before looking away and whispering among them. Maybe it was Raj’s stupid grin and John’s smug expression. Maybe it was all of the above. Either way, something was wrong and it pissed Alec off.  
  
“What?” he snapped, glaring at his two _‘friends’_.  
  
Raj and John exchanged a look before looking back and shrugging.  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
Alec rolled his eyes and pushed by them, making his way toward his office. He ignored both men as they started following him. John cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets.  
  
“So…,” he started.  
  
“ ‘ _So_ ’ what?” Alec muttered, his gaze stuck onto the screen of his phone as he texted Aline back.  
  
“Rumour has it the Institute lost a potential client because of you,” Raj intervened, giddy.  
  
Frowning, Alec stopped in his tracks, forcing the other two to do the same. Looking up from his phone, he turned around and crossed his arms.  
  
“What do you mean the Institute lost a client because of _me_?”  
  
“Exactly what I said,” Raj retorted, his smirk widening as Alec’s frown deepened.  
  
“I’ve been at Leo’s school all morning. How could I have cost us a client?”  
  
“I don’t know. What I _do_ know is that the Big Boss is in a bad mood and that you have something to do with it.” John answered.  
  
Sighing, Alec rubbed the back of his neck before turning to Raj. The latter was practically bouncing on his toes, grinning like the perfect idiot that he was. Cocking an eyebrow, Alec gaped at him before turning back to John.  
  
“What the hell is his problem?” he asked, pointing to Raj.  
  
John lifted a shoulder, a small smirk appearing on his face.  
  
“He’s happy to find out Mr Perfect has finally messed something up.”  
  
Once again, Alec rolled his eyes and resumed his way to his office.  
  
“First of all, I’m not ‘ _perfect’._ Second of all, I did not-“  
  
Alec found himself freezing, when he noticed his mother pacing quietly in his office, reminding him of a lioness in her cage. He couldn’t help but gulp. John rested a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear:  
“You were saying?”  
  
“Oh my god, can I stay and film?” Raj raised on his toes, to see over his shoulder.  
  
Scowling, Alec pushed John away and turned around to face both men.  
  
“Alright, Gossip Girls, don’t you have a life or a work to do?”  
  
Raj crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side.  
  
“Interesting reference,” he hummed, rubbing his chin.  
  
“I have a sister, moron,” Alec groaned before waving them off, “Now, shoo.”  
  
“It was nice knowing you, Lightwood.” John called before walking away, dragging Raj with him  
  
Alec scoffed when the latter blew him a kiss. With a sigh, he walked to Aline’s desk. The younger woman held out a hand when he opened his mouth, pointing to the Bluetooth Earpiece she wore. With a nod, he mouthed ‘mail’ and smiled when she pointed to the stack of envelopes on her desk. Alec took it and went to walk into his office before going back to Aline’s desk, bouncing from one foot to the other. Aline leaned into her chair, cocking an eyebrow at him, expectant. Throwing a quick look in the direction of his office, Alec glanced back at her.  
  
“How bad is it?” he whispered.  
  
Alec felt his heart drop at Aline’s grimace, cringing.  
  
“That bad, uh?” He muttered, earing a nod from his cousin. “You know, in all the texts you sent me you, you could’ve warned me.” Alec rolled his eyes at Aline’s nonchalant shrug.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he walked into the lion’s den. He had to stop himself from flinching when Maryse’s dark gaze fell onto his person. Giving her a small smile, Alec waved.  
  
“Hey, mom.”  
  
Maryse shot her a mirthless smile and crossed her arms.  
  
“Alec. Please, have a seat.”  
  
While Alec was ready to retort that he preferred standing up, his mother’s stare made him swallow his words. Giving her a wide berth, he went to sit behind his desk, squirming in his seat. Maryse leaned against the corner of his desk. Drumming his fingers against the armchair, he looked up to his mother.  
  
“So, what’s wrong?”  
  
Maryse tilted his head to the side, cocking an eyebrow at her son.  
  
“I’ve spent an hour trying to convince Valentine Morgenstern not to go consult another law firm. In vain. Care to explain why?””  
  
Frowning, Alec shook his head as he swirled in his chair.  
  
“That’s what you’re mad about?”  
  
“Yeah,” Maryse retorted, both of her eyebrows raised and her expression incredulous, “ _that_ is what I’m mad about.”  
  
Alec couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, his head falling back. Maryse narrowed her eyes at him. Running his fingers through his hair, he quickly composed himself. He held out a hand.  
  
“It’s not as bad as it seems, I promise.”  
  
“‘ _Not as bad as it seems’_?” Maryse repeated, letting herself fall in the chair so she could face her son, “Alexander-“ he winced at the sound of his full name, “do you hear yourself? Morgenstern is one of the most influential person of this city, of this state. Tell me you had a good reason to tell him what you told me.”  
  
“Leo broke his son’s nose and he wanted to drag me to court for it,” Alec let out in one breath.  
  
“Leo _broke_ someone’s nose?” Maryse hissed, her fists clenched to her side. Alec winced and nodded. “What for?”  
  
“Morgenstern Jr said something he didn’t like about someone he _liked_.” He answered, lifting a shoulder. “So Leo jumped to this person’s defence. With his fists.”  
  
Maryse raised her eyebrows up to her hairline, her son’s cryptic tone. Then, with a sigh, she leaned back into her chair.  
  
“Well, that explains the eye patch,” she muttered, then with a smirk, she added, “like father, like son, after all.”  
  
At Alec’s confused tilt of head, Maryse snorted.  
  
“I remember a young Alec breaking a nose after someone pulled his little sister’s braids. And another after someone insulted his new adopted brother,” she teased, leaning over the table.  
  
Alec snorted and rolled his eyes, earning a real smile from his mother. Maryse quickly sobered and gently kicked him in the leg.  
  
“Do you realize the damage control I’ll have to deal with?”  
  
“Yeah,” Alec winced, “Sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”  
  
“I know you will,” Maryse gave him another kick before getting up, “I’ve a meeting to go to. We’ll finish that talk at lunch.”  
  
Alec almost retorted that he would need to work during his lunch break. After noticing the look his mother gave him, he realized that he didn’t have a choice. He smiled and gave her a small nod.  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Maryse nodded back and got up from her chair, walking out of the office only to be stopped by Aline blocking the exit with a huge bouquet of red and white flowers, bouncing on her heels. When she noticed both Lightwoods frowning at her, she let out a squeal.  
  
“I’m really sorry but a deliver guy just dropped this,” Aline rolled her eyes when their frowns deepened, “For Alec,” she added.”  
 _“What?”_  
  
Alec jumped out of his chair and went to the two women, staring at the bouquet in awe. Maryse had taken it out of her goddaughter’s hands and stuffed her face in it, inhaling its perfume.  
  
“They’re gorgeous,” she whispered, playing with the petals, “what kind of flowers is it?”  
  
“The white ones are _Bachelor-Buttons_ and the red ones are _Amaryllis,”_ Aline replied automatically. At Alec and Maryse’s looks, she rolled her eyes and added, “What? My wife’s obsessed with plants, don’t look so surprised.”  
  
Maryse hummed, took a red flower out of the bouquet and handed it to Alec. The latter gave her a look before he reluctantly took it, twirling it between his fingers as he looked back at Aline.  
  
“Was there a card that came with it?”  
  
“Oh, yes!” Aline took a small white squared envelope out of her pocket and handed it to him, “Notice how I didn’t open it?”  
  
“Geez, you showed real restrain there,” he deadpanned as he snatched it out of her hands, “Don’t expect a raise, though.”  
  
Aline cocked an eyebrow at him, unimpressed, and crossed her arms, waiting for him to open it. From the corner of his eye, Alec could see that Maryse was also expecting for him to open the card. Scoffing, he shook his head and unfolded the small piece of paper, his heart skipping a beat when he read the short message  
  
 _You’ve made quite an impression: hope I’ll see you again, Alexander._  
 _Thanks again for today._  
  
“So?” Alec was startled out of his trance by Aline’s impatient voice, “Who are they from?”  
  
“Uh-“ Alec shoved the small card in his pocket, “It’s from Mrs Walker. As a thanks.”  
  
Aline frowned, disappointed. The phone ringing at the front door forced her to go back to her desk, much to Alec’s relief. The latter went back to sit behind his desk, trying to ignore the way his mother’s gaze followed him as he went back to his seat. Putting his flower near in his laptop, he cleared his throat and looked up to his mother, trying not to flinch back when his gaze met her narrowed, dark eyes. Alec cocked his head to the side and shot her a small smile, politely waiting for her to either leave or say what was on his mind. Humming, Maryse returned his smile. Not that it reassured him in any way.  
  
“I’ll go and try to find a vase for those.”  
  
Alec nodded, letting out a breath of relief when she turned around and took her leave.  
  
“Thanks, Mom!” he called out.  
  
Once she was out of sight and Alec was sure Alice was too busy on the phone to focus on him, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. Alec turned on his computer and, with one last toward Aline, pulled out the card from his pocket. Re-reading the card, Alec couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips. Magnus Bane… What a strange man.

 

* * *

 

 

you can find me on this [hellish](generaleiafisher.tumblr.com) website ! 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, don't forget to leave a comment/kudo! You can also go stalk/talk to me @generaleiafisher. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this, I hope Magnus' first appearance was up to your expectations. 
> 
> Until next time, darlings. 
> 
> Kadi.


	7. four lunches (and a proposal)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You sure you’re okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed in concern, “You’re not still thinking about Morgenstern, are you?” 
> 
> “Oh please, biscuit,” Magnus smirked, grabbing her chin between his fingers, “I have better things to think about that homophobic, poor doppelganger of Mr Clean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little head's up : updates are going to be irregular because of college - I was on break and I'm not anymore, so college is back at the top of my priorities' list. 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for the feedback, I'm glad you liked the first Malec interaction and Magnus Bane's first appearance in this fic. 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the seventh chapter !

  
Magnus stared ahead, twirling his fork in his fingers as Clary and Simon argued over his head. He didn’t know what they were arguing about, not that he particularly cared. His mind was preoccupied with something else. A tall, dark, handsome, hazel-eyed something else. With a frustrated groan, he stabbed his now-cold pastas with his fork, stuffing them angrily in his mouth. The gesture seemed to have stopped Clary and Simon’s quarrel. Both of them exchanged a glance before looking back at Magnus, the latter oblivious to their exchange. Simon cleared his throat, crossed his arms on the table, careful of their plates, and tilted his head toward Magnus.  
  
“What the hell is his problem?” Simon whispered to Clary.  
  
Her lips pursed, the redhead shrugged and shook her head, looking as clueless at him. Simon let out a sigh and shook his head before going back to Clary, readying himself to resume their argument.  
  
“So anyway-“  
  
Someone dragging a chair backwards interrupted him. He looked up to find Raphael turning the chair around and plopping on it. Simon didn’t have the time to react to the new arrival; Raphael had already stolen three of his fries. He didn’t seem fazed by Simon’s glare as he took a sip of his water bottle, swallowing his mouthful.  
  
“I swear to God,” he made the sign of the cross before adding, “If you start another argument that’s related to Star Wars. I’ll stab you in the neck with your fork.”  
  
“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” Simon snapped, pulling back his tray to him, “Which is a bit ironic since you probably don’t go out in the sun since you’ve been turned into a vampire.  
  
Raphael snarled at him, earning an eye roll from groaning. The Raphael-being-a-vampire had been a rumour that was started by his students. The History teacher was known to keep the shutters closed when there happened to be sun. Some said he was a vampire because of his pale complexion and his abnormally red lips. Others said that they had never seen him normal food – he didn’t need it because of the thermos of blood that he kept with him at all times. The one time Raphael had eaten food that came from the school cafeteria, ended with him at the hospital because of an allergy reaction to garlic bread. Which only contributed to the rumours that Raphael didn’t bother denying.  
  
“What are you even doing here?” Raphael asked, a frown on his face.  
  
“I’m here to spend some time with my friends,” Simon explained, talking slowly as if he was speaking to a child, “What about you? What made you exit your coffin?”  
  
“Casket,” Raphael corrected, “Coffin implies wooden box. We have caskets now. They are made of 14 karat gold,” he added after seeing Simon’s confused look.  
  
Clary let out a soft snort and shook her head when Simon turned to look at her, his expression incredulous.  
  
“Good to know, I guess,” he muttered, pushing his tray toward Raphael.  
  
“Plus I’m here to watch the brats since you guys are too busy arguing over who shot first and being useless. Well, you don’t really count, Lewis but still. By the way,” he cocked an eyebrow and pointed at Magnus, the latter still lost in thoughts, “The _hell’s_ his problem?”  
  
Both Clary and Simon shrugged, equally as clueless, before turning back to stare at Magnus, trying to figure him out. Groaning, Raphael leaned over the table and snapped his fingers in front of Magnus’ face, startling him out of his thoughts. His eyes wide opened, his fork slipped out of his grasp as he turned to look at Raphael. The latter cocked an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms.  
  
“You’re with us, Bane?”  
  
He blinked at him, his eyes narrowed at him, before clearing his throat and leaning back in his chair.  
  
“Quite, Raphael,” he shot him a small smile and pushed back his sleeves, “Just thinking over some things.”  
  
Raphael hummed, his eyebrows up. Leaning back, he threw another cold fry in his mouth, ignoring Simon’s irritated sigh. Turning around to survey the cafeteria, he straightened when he noticed two fifth graders throwing food at each other while others used their trays as shields.  
  
“ _Hey!_ ” Raphael boomed, making every person in the vicinity jump, “I swear to God if I see rice fly out of your plates one more time, I’m going to make you clean it up, grain by grain.”  
  
He watched with a snarl as they slowly put their forks and trays down. A few seconds later, they seemed to think it was safe to try throwing bits of bread instead of grains of rice. Growling, Raphael stuffed the rest of cold fries into his mouth before jumping out of his chair. Staring at the now empty chair beside him, Simon blew out a breath and turned to Magnus and Clary.  
  
“Well, not that wa _s_ n’t interesting but it’s time for me to go,” Simon got up and grabbed his tray, making his way out. He stopped for a second behind Clary, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, “call me when you realize you’re wrong,” he let out a chuckle when the redhead pushed him with a scoff, “later, Magnus!”  
  
The other man gave him a dismissive wave, not bothering to look up from his plate. Simon rolled his eyes and walked out the cafeteria after getting rid of his trash. Clary let out a sigh and put down her cutlery, tilting her head to the side.  
  
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed in concern, “You’re not still thinking about Morgenstern, are you?”

 

“Oh please, _biscuit,_ ” Magnus smirked, grabbing her chin between his fingers, “I have better things to think about that homophobic, poor doppelganger of _Mr Clean.”_

 

Clary rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle. His smirk turning into a mischievous grin, he gave her chin a soft chunk before leaning into his chair and turning his attention back to his food. Magnus did have better things to think about. Like the _extremely_ handsome father of one of his students.

 

* * *

 

 

Isabelle Lightwood wasn’t someone you wanted to mess with. Some feared because of the weight her family name carried, others knew better than try to cross her because she was freaking terrifying. So, as she leaned against the nurse station, her jaw clenched and her arms crossed, people gave her a wide berth, walking slightly faster. Glaring at the paper bag that dangled from her fingers, Isabelle let out a groan and pulled her phone out of her pocket, frowning disapprovingly at it before she roughly shoved it back. With a pout, she pushed herself off the station and turned around, putting down the foot. The nurse sitting behind it – Michelle – gave the greasy bag a weary look and looked up at the younger woman, cocking an eyebrow at her. Isabelle winced.

 

“Sorry,” she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear before she cleared her throat and plastered a enchanting grin on her face, “Anyway. Can you please page him one more time, please?”

 

“I’ve already paged him three times,” Michelle retorted, her eyes back onto her computer as she gave a nonchalant shrug, “You’ll have to wait, sorry sweetheart.”

 

Groaning inwardly, Isabelle gave her a nod before taking her paper bag off the counter and going to sit in one of the chairs in the waiting room. After throwing a quick look at her watch, she decided that she could begin to eat while she waited. If she waited any longer, both of her sandwich and fries would be getting soggy and cold. Taking a napkin out of the bag, Isabelle put it on her laps and got out her fries, grimacing at the oil that soaked her fingers;

 

“Hey, you.”

 

Looking up, Isabelle grinned when she saw Maureen speed-walk toward her before popping a fry into her mouth. God, they were _already soggy and cold._ She struggled to swallow the food in her mouth before returning the greeting.

 

“Hey. Want a fry?” Isabelle proposed, pointing to her lap.

 

“Ooh, don’t mind if I do,” she said, taking two fries and throwing them in her mouth before grimacing.

 

Wincing, Isabelle gave her a sympathetic nod before handing Maureen her drink, which the latter took with a sigh of relief.

 

“So, what are you waiting here for?” she asked before taking a sip.

 

“Urgh, I was supposed to be having lunch with Meliorn, but apparently he’s still in surgery.”

 

“What surgery is he supposed to be on?” Maureen wondered, stealing another fry against her better judgement.

 

Scowling, Isabelle crossed her arms and leaned into her chair.

 

“He’s assisting Belcourt with the alpinist accident. Just because I’m not working doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s happening,” she added when she noticed Maureen’s confused tilt of head. “Apparently, they’ve been on it since last night and-“

 

Her phone buzzing in her jacket pocket interrupted Isabelle. Shooting Maureen an apologetic smile, she took it out and unlocked it, her smile slowly dissolving as she read the text she had just received.

 -  _Just got out of surgery_. _Rain check? –_

Scoffing, Isabelle shoved her phone back into her pocket before looking up at Maureen with a sardonic smirk; much to the latter’s concern and confusion.

 

“Turns out Meliorn won’t be joining me from lunch. What a waste of such quality food,” she deadpanned, pointing to the grease-soaked paper bag by her side.

 

“Izzy, I-“ Maureen started.

 

“ **Brown!** ” both women turned at the arrival of a male nurse walking toward them, “Incoming in the E.R, highway accident. We need all hands on deck.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be right there. I just need to- ” Maureen replied, before turning back to Isabelle.

 

The latter smiled reassuringly at her and got up from her chair, dusting off her pants.

 

“Go save the world, Maureen Brown. I’ll be fine.”

 

Maureen returned the smile, grabbing two cold fries out of the bag before she took her leave. With a sigh, Isabelle wiped her greasy hands on her jeans and walked back to the nurse station to inform them that she had already gotten an update on Meliorn. Not that they seemed to care, anyway. After getting a dismissive wave and blank look, Isabelle decided that it would be better – for her sake and the nurse’s face – if she were to leave.

 

In a hurry to storm out of the hospital, Isabelle rammed into another person. _Hard._ Fortunately, two strong hands grabbed her arms and helped her regain her balance. Looking up, she was met with the confused and alarmed gaze of Hodge Starkweather. His grip loosened on her arms when Isabelle shot him a small smile and nodded, silently assuring that she was fine.

 

“Lightwood, what do I have to do for you leave this hospital?” he teased, adjusting the strap of his messenger back.

 

“What can I say, boss?” Isabelle shrugged in fake nonchalance, flipping her hair, “ I’m dedicated to my craft. Hungry?” she added, handing him her bag of food.

 

Cocking an eyebrow, Hodge wearily eyed it before his gaze settled back on Isabelle, the latter grinning innocently at him. He slowly reached for it, peering through its contents.

 

“What do you want now?”

 

“ _Nothing_!” she said, her eyes wide-opened in outrage, “I just thought that you would be hungry and it would be dumb to waste such a large amount of food. You’ll have to heat once or twice, though,” she added with a small grimace.

 

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Izzy. Thanks,” Hodge hummed, the corner of his lip.

 

Isabelle gave him a blinding smile, locking her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on her heels. She didn’t look to be leaving though, much to Hodge’s bemusement and amusement. Closing the bag, he crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow to her.

 

“You can go back home, now. You know, since you’re supposed to be on a break.”

 

At the statement, Isabelle’s smile slowly turned into a pout. The thought of going back to her empty, boring        flat did nothing to improve her mood. Once she’d get home, she would probably order some food, crank up the sound of her stereo and drown her sorrows in a glass of white wine. The simple thought of it was depressing. Clearing her throat, she plastered a smile on her face and looked back to her superior, the latter having taken noticed of her brief change of mood.

 

“You know, you guys look a bit overwhelmed with the alpinist accident from last night and today’s highway accident. Pretty sure you could use all the help you could get.”

 

“Uh, I don’t know,” Hodge shrugged, a small smile on his face as he caught on to her excuse, “it looks like everything’s under control. You can go home.”

 

“But-“

 

“Lightwood, we’ve been fine for the last couple of days. I’m pretty sure we can manage ten more days with you on vacation. Right now, the only place you should be is **_home_** ,” Hodge insisted.

 

Closing her eyes, she let out a breath and clenched her jaw. Narrowing his eyes, Hodge opened his mouth to add something, only to be interrupted by his pager going off in his back pocket. With a groan, he held out a hand and took the small out, frowning as he read his newly received text.

 

“Duty call?”

 

“Yeah,” he muttered before looking up at her, “Don’t make me call security, Lightwood.”

 

Isabelle snorted, brushed back her hair and crossed her arms, defiantly cocking an eyebrow.

 

“I’d like to see that.”

 

“Right,” Hodge sighed, rolling his eyes before leaning over the desk, “Please, Michelle, make sure she’s out of here in the hour.”

 

Isabelle couldn’t help but scowl when the two exchanged a malicious grin, her grimace turning into a smile when they turned to look at her. Not that they bought it, anyway. Hodge winked at her before he slowly made his way to the elevators. As soon as the doors closed behind him, Isabelle turned back to Michelle, her lips pouting and her wide-eyes pleading.

 

“Not going to work, sweetheart,” she deadpanned, not looking up from her computer, “go home.”

 

Her jaw clenched, Isabelle pushed herself off the counter and sluggishly made her way to the exit doors, as if hoping that someone would call her back. Slowly turning her head, Isabelle met Michelle’s gaze and swallowed a whine when the latter flashed her a smile and gave her a small wave.

 

“See you in ten days, Izzy.”

 

_Not such luck, then._

 

* * *

 

 

Twirling a flower between his fingers, Alec almost forgot that he wasn’t alone in his office. Not that the people present in the room were paying any attention to him. Raj was discussing one of his cases with Maryse while John used the time of his lunch break to read his mails. Still, Alec thought that he shouldn’t been so enthralled by a simple flower that he had received from a ‘client’. He was, though, and he didn’t if it was because of the gift or because of its sender. The sight of the huge bouquet on his desk had taken both Raj and John aback when they had come in earlier. Alec had been speared of having to give any explanations when Aline had told them, in a disappointed tone, that he had received it from a _female, older_ client. He had been weird out by the emphasis on the gender and age, but Aline had left for lunch before he could say something about it.

 

He was startled out of his thoughts when someone snapped fingers in his face. Dropping the flower onto his desk, Alec looked up to see three pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly. Frowning his eyebrows, he straightened in his chair and crossed his arms.

 

“What?”

 

“We’ve been calling for the last five minutes, dude,” Raj retorted, incredulous, “You okay? You barely touched your meal.”

 

Alec looked down at his plate of chicken noodles, realizing that he hadn’t eaten a third of his lunch. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked back up at his partners and mother, plastering a small smile on his face.

 

“Yeah, fine. Um, what were we talking about?”

 

Raj let out a suffering sigh while John snorted, putting his phone back into his pocket and taking a bite out of his burger. Maryse stared at Alec, her eyes narrowed in thought before she shook her head and threw her empty container in his bin.

 

“We’re discussing the mock trial,” she replied, crossing her arms and legs.

 

Groaning, Alec stabbed his fork into his pastas before stuffing in his mouth, ignoring his mother’s roll of eyes. Raj threw a quick look at John, to which the latter responded with a clueless shrug. Swallowing down his food with a gulp of water, Alec looked back at his mother, both his eyebrows cocked.

 

“Is it _really_ necessary for me to participate?”

 

“Well, of course it is!” Maryse retorted, her tone incredulous, “You’re part of this firm, aren’t you?”

 

 _Unfortunately,_ Alec lamented inwardly, letting his head fall back.

 

“Plus,” she added, waving to John and Raj, “Both of them are going to be a part of it.”

 

“Oh, no reason to drag us into this,” Raj muttered, glaring at his friend when the latter elbowed his side.

 

“They’re _public defenders_ , I’m a mediator,” Alec protested, crossing his arms in defiance, “There’s a difference, mother.”

 

Maryse glared at him, miffed. Both John and Raj exchanged a glance before the former suddenly jumped out of his chair, startling the Lightwoods. He shot them a sheepish smile and clasped his arms behind his back.

 

“It’s not that this conversation isn’t fascinating, but lunch break’s over and we,” He hauled Raj to his feet, clapping his back, “need to go back to work.”

 

“We do?” he muttered with a frown before wincing at John’s hard tap, “ _We do_! Uh, always a pleasure, Mrs Lightwood. Alec, we’ll see you later.”

 

Alec watched with a deadpan expression as they quickly threw away their trash and left his office. With a sigh, he turned back to his mother, the latter staring back with an expectant look. Before he could even think about protesting again, Maryse leaned over his office and cocked her head to the side.

 

“Tell me, _Alexander,_ when was the last time one of your cases went to court?”

 

“Three years ago, which is _exactly_ why I don’t need to participate in the mock trial,” Alec retorted, a smug smile on his face.

 

“ _Wrong,_ love,” Maryse replied, wearing a smile of her own, “This is _exactly_ why you need to participate,” standing up, she began to pace the office, “you’re out of practice. No matter how good you think you are, you won’t always work your way out with pretty words, compromises and promises.”

 

“But-“

 

“ _Pero nada_ _,_ Alec,” Maryse interrupted, “You’ll participate and that’s final. _¿Claro?”_

His jaw clenched, Alec ruffled his hair and leaned back in his chair.

 

“ _Claro,”_ he muttered.

 

Nodding, Maryse walked up to him and cupped his face between his hands, a soft smile on her face.

 

“Good,” she kissed the top of his head before letting go of his face, “Now, John wasn’t wrong about needing to go back to work. We’ll discuss this further, later.”

 

Maryse turned on her heels, not letting Alec the time to protest as she left his office. Sighing, Alec leaned back in his chair, whirling from side to side while staring at the ceiling. He frowned at the sound of another pair of high heels clicking against the floor, prompting him to straighten in his chair. His frown deepened when he saw Isabelle rushing toward his office, quickly kissing Maryse on the cheek with a quick ‘ _hey, mom-bye mom’_ before she continued her way to him. Seeing the bewildered look his mother sent him, Alec responded with a clueless shrug before focusing his gaze back onto Isabelle.

 

The younger Lightwood quickly pecked his cheek before dropping in the chair in front of him. Still dazed by her sudden appearance, Alec gaped a few seconds at her, then cleared his throat.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey, _big brother,”_ Isabelle returned the greeting, grinning at him, “so sorry to barge in unannounced- are you going to eat that?”

 

Alec didn’t have the time to blink before she pulled his plate to her and began digging into it. She looked up at him with a disgusted frown, swallowing the food in her mouth before she shook her head.

 

“ _These_ are cold and gross.”

 

“ _These_ are mine and you’re acting weird,” Alec retorted, trying to pull the plate back to him, only to receive a slap on the hand, “ _Seriously,_ what the hell is wrong with you? I thought you were supposed to eat with Meliorn.”

 

“Um, so did I,” she said, her mouth full as she leaned back into her chair and cradled the plate to her chest, “but Meliorn had, apparently, other plans,” she muttered with a sarcastic smile. At Alec’s confused tilt of head, she added, “he had been working on a complex surgery last night and is using lunch break to catch on his sleep. Which is good, because if he doesn’t catch up on his sleep, he might end up killing his patients, which we do _not_ want.”

 

Alec gaped as Isabelle stuffed her mouth with more food to stop her word vomit. Closing his mouth, he cleared his throat and got up from his chair, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he swerved around his desk. He slowly took the dish out of her hands, set it behind him before handing her his bottle of water. After swallowing the food in her mouth with a loud _gulp,_ Isabelle wiped her mouth with the back of her head and accepted the drink with a small smile. Squinting his eyes at her, Alec leaned back onto his desk and nudged her knee with his.

 

“Come on, Iz’. What’s up with you?”

 

“Nothing,” Isabelle retorted quickly. Too _quickly,_ to Alec’s taste, “I promise. Now, can I have the noodles?” she insisted when she noticed his fixed stare.

 

With an eye roll, he took the plate from behind him and handed it to her, only to pull it back when she reached out to take it.

 

“ _Seriously,_ Alec?” Isabelle groaned, a scowl on her face.

 

“You sure your mood was nothing to do with Meliorn?”

 

“First of all, I’m **_not_** in a mood. Secondly, what does Meliorn has to do with anything?”

 

“You seem pissed off,” Alec pressed, still holding the dish out of her reach.

 

“Yeah, because you’re pestering me with useless questions and won’t give me what I want,” she spat, snatching the plate out of his hands.

 

Alec held up his hands and went back to sit behind his desk, his gaze never leaving his sister as he backed away. The latter tried her hardest to ignore, spinning in her chair as she stabbed the noodles with her forks. Alec knew Isabelle. He knew better than getting involved in her relationships. He knew that she wasn’t one to get hung over boys – they were usually the ones getting hung over her. Alec also knew that Meliorn wasn’t just a _boy_ to her. Isabelle was used to be the girl people revolved around, with being the only daughter from a brethren of four children. He had never tried understand the complexity of Meliorn and Isabelle’s relationship. Alec only knew that Meliorn mattered to here. And what mattered to Isabelle also ended up mattering to him, in some way.

 

With a sigh, he got back up and began to walk out of his office, much to Isabelle’s confusion. Smiling down at her, he stopped at the threshold and held out a hand for her to take.

 

“Come on, I need to stretch my legs. Let’s go look for warm food,” Alec proposed

 

“But I’ve already eaten,” Isabelle retorted, frowning down at her half-eaten dish.

 

“Well, I haven’t,” he countered, raising his eyebrows, “If you want to finish that, you can heat the rest of it. I’m pretty sure we can find something better in the cafeteria, though.”

 

With a small smile, Isabelle took her brother’s hand, getting back on her feet with a groan. Adjusting her shirt, she noticed the bouquet of flowers placed on the end of Alec’s desk. Bemused, she took a flower out of the vase, Isabelle brought it to her nose and twirled around on her heels.

 

“Those are cute,” she said and looked up at her brother, the latter staring at the flower, his eyes wide-opened, “Who are they from?”

 

“Uh, one of my clients, actually,” he answered, rubbing the back of his head, “As a thank you gift.”

 

“Aw, lucky,” Isabelle pouted, twirling the flower between her fingers, “the only gift I’ve ever got from one of my patients was a cold. Can I?” she asked, raising it for him to see.

 

“Sure,” Alec said, restraining a sigh of relief at her obliviousness.

 

With a grin, Isabelle cut the flower of its stem and threw it away. Alec frowned, uneasy as he noticed the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The wide, innocent grin plastered on her face as she made his way to him, did nothing to reassure him. Stopping in front of him, Isabelle rose to her toes and tucked the flower behind the older man, chuckling when he rolled his eyes at her. Letting out a breath through his nose, Alec looked down at her and cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Food?” he proposed.

 

“You’re treating,” Isabelle answered, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

 

Snorting, Alec watched as she pranced down the hallway, a skip in her step and her mood better than it had been a few moments before. Sighing, he shook his head at the younger woman.

 

“Of course I am.”

 

* * *

 

“You okay?”

 

Helen practically gave herself whiplash when turning her head to look at Aline, the latter staring at her with a concerned frown. Letting out a breath, she plastered a smile on her face and reached over her plate for her wife’s hand.

 

“I’m fine, babe. Just thoughtful, I guess,” Helen sighed, cocking her head to the side.

 

“Well, obviously. You’ve been staring out of that window for a good thirty minutes. And while I do believe New York squirrels are fascinating, they can’t be _that_ amazing,” Aline joked, smirking while rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb.

 

Helen let out a small laugh, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear with her free hand. Slowly sobering, Aline cocked her head to the side, trying to catch the other woman’s gaze, and squeezed her hand.

 

“Seriously babe, what’s wrong? Is it about work?” she insisted.

 

“No, no,” Helen assured, giving her hand a squeeze to reassure her, “Everything’s fine at work. Like I said, I’m just thinking about,” she waved her free hand around her head, “stuff.”

 

“ ‘ _Stuff’_?” Aline repeated, cocking an eyebrow at her.

 

Helen was saved from replying when a waitress came by to take their empty plates and dropped the dessert menu. Swallowing her groan of frustration, Aline flashed the waitress a tight smile in thanks, her hand suddenly cold as Helen ripped her hand out of her grasp to grab a menu and hide behind it. Clenching her hand into a fist, Aline leaned back into her seat.

 

“Helen, what’s _going_ on?” she asked, her eyes-wide opened, “You’re starting to freak me out.”

 

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Helen closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, which did nothing but feed Aline’s uneasiness. Putting the menu back onto the table, she cleared her throat and reopened her eyes, her gaze unfocused.

 

“Honey,” Aline chuckled, trying to dissipate the thick tension, “Whatever it is that’s making so nervous? You can tell me.”

 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Helen nodded to herself and straightened in her chair, as if she was trying to gather all of her courage. Clearing her throat for a second time, she met Aline’s comforting brown gaze.

 

“Do you see yourself… being a mother?” Helen asked, her brow furrowed as if she was readying herself for her wife’s mockery or rejection.

 

“Like… ever?” Aline retorted, her head cocked to the side and her nose crumpled in confusion. At the blonde’s shrug, she gave a small hum, “Well, you’ve met my mother. And while she doesn’t agree with ‘ _my particular, sinful way of life’,_ she wouldn’t mind a few grandchildren. As for me, I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it, I guess. What got you thinking about that, though? You’re pregnant?” Aline gave a chortle, quickly sobering when she noticed Helen’s wince, “Oh please, tell me you aren’t pregnant.”

 

Aline immediately grimaced after taking notice of the absurdity of the question. Frowning at her, Helen shot her a small glare before shaking her head

 

“I’ve been thinking about adopting, though,” she admitted, again, bracing herself for Aline’s reaction.

 

“Someday?” she asked, trying to ignore the lump in her throat.

 

“In the near future,” Helen countered, nervously twisting her fingers, “Preferably, within the year,” she added after a minute of hesitation.

 

“Oh,” Aline said, her eyes wide-opened.

 

_Oh._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter. it's a bit shorter than usual but, eh! i'm happy with it. I hope you liked it, don't forget to leave a comment and kudos on your way out : it means a lot to me and keeps going! 
> 
> I love you gorgeous people,  
> Until next time,   
> Kadi.


	8. second star to the right (not so straight until morning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do we have boy or girl problem?”
> 
> “We have a over 6 ft. tall, dark and handsome problem,” Magnus replied as he lifted his head, circling the rim of his glass with a finger.
> 
> Jocelyn hummed, her head tilted to the side as she filled her own wineglass. Putting the bottle down, she leaned against the counter, lifted her glass and shot him a small smile. Returning the smile, Magnus clinked his glass with hers before taking a gulp of it.
> 
> “What got you drinking so early?” Luke asked, squeezing Jocelyn’s hip as he walked behind her to check on the cooking vegetables.
> 
> “Tall, Dark, Handsome and Troublesome men,” the redhead answered, turning around to shot her husband a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for the feedback, your comments and love make my day. Without further ado, here's the 8th chapter ! hope you'll enjoy :) 
> 
> btw, i'm sick and meds are kicking my ass - hella tired - so i apologize in advance for any mistakes you might notice.
> 
> GET EXCITED ! Luke Wolfman Garroway makes his first appearance in this fic :)
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING : SUICIDE MENTION

 

 **“** _Come on, Leo!_ Your bag was supposed to be done hours ago,” Alec called, buttering pieces of bread.  
  
_“I’m just adding a few things I had forgotten earlier!”_ Leo shouted back.  
  
Alec rolled his eye at the comment. Last time he had went to check in on the boy, the latter had been struggling to close his bag. It wasn’t as if they were leaving for a week, they were leaving for _two days._ Leo adding stuff to his bags – he was pretty that at this point, Leo had more than one bag – gave Alec some times to check on their things, making sure that they wouldn’t forget anything. It also gave him the time to prepare their dinner.  
  
With a sigh, Alec wiped his hands on his jeans before grabbing two tomatoes and beginning to slice them. That was the moment his phone chose to ring. Groaning, he turned away from the kitchen counter and looked around the room for the device, frowning when he noticed it was nowhere to be seen.  
  
“Leo! Do you know where is my phone?”  
  
_“In your office_!” Leo shouted.  
  
“Well, could you grab it for me? I’m kinda busy.”  
  
He heard Leo’s door squeak opened and frowned disapprovingly as he ran out of his room. A few moments later, the small blonde ran into the kitchen, the still ringing device in his hands.  
  
“Could you answer it? My hands are dirty.”  
  
With an overdramatic sigh, Leo jumped onto a stool and answered the call.  
  
“ _Casa Lightwood,_ Leo speaking.”  
  
Alec snorted at the greeting, shaking his head as he went back to slicing his tomatoes. Leo hummed at whatever the person talking to him said before sticking the phone on his father’s ear. Seeing Alec’s cocked eyebrow, he shrugged.  
  
“It’s for you,” Leo whispered.  
  
Alec restrained himself from retorting ‘ _no shit, Sherlock’_ , reminding himself that he was talking to his son and not one of his brothers. He silently asked who it was and rolled his eyes at Leo’s second shrug. With a sigh, he tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder.  
  
“Hello, who is this?”  
  
“ _Alexander?_ _Hi, this is Magnus Bane, Leo’s teacher?”_  
  
The knife sliced this thumb. Wincing, he threw the knife and swore loudly, his phone clattering to the phone. Leo gasped and mouthed ‘ _swear jar’,_ earning a glare from his father. Sucking on his thumb, Alec picked up his phone, hearing Magnus call his name on the other end.  
  
“ _-Xander_? _You’re still here?”_  
  
_“_ Sorry. Hi. Apparently, I’m not as good as I thought at multitasking,” he let out a nervous chuckle.  
  
Alec went to grab the emergency kit sitting next to the oven, slapping Leo’s hands from the cut tomatoes. The latter pouted at him, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the table to which he replied with an eye roll before throwing him a cereal bar.  
  
“ _Ah, I don’t mean to intrude. I can call back later if you’re busy-“_  
  
_“_ No!” He exclaimed, his eyes widening when Leo startled, choking on his snack. Alec rushed to the small boy, gently tapping his back, “I mean, it’s fine. Just trying to make dinner. Uh. What’s up?”  
  
Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and swore under his breath. _Smooth, Lightwood._ Letting out a sigh, his eyes snapped back opened.  
  
“ _Nothing, I was just thinking it was really nice getting to know you. You seemed… sympathetic.”_  
  
Alec felt the corner of his mouth lift as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. He watched with a frown as Leo let out a bored groan before jumping off the stool and walking out of the kitchen. Shaking his head at his son’s odd behaviour, he cleared his throat.  
  
“And you seem overly confident,” he shot back, his smile widening into a grin when he heard him chuckle. Scratching the back of his head, he added, “Um… thank you for the flowers, by the way. They looked… really nice.”  
  
“ _’Looked’? Past tense? Alexander, did you already kill those poor plants?”_ Magnus teased.  
  
“No, I meant- they _were_ nice when they were delivered and they _are…_ still I think. Anyway, _thank you_ is what I meant to say. By the way,” he quickly changed the subject, hoping Magnus wouldn’t notice, “how did you get this number?”  
  
“ _The Lightwood name is kind of a known name in New York City, especially in Law Enforcement. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries-“_  
  
_“_ No, no, no. It’s fine. I’m-“ Alec cleared his throat, running his fingers through his hair “I’m actually glad you reached out to me.”  
  
“ _Yeah?”_  
  
Magnus’ hopeful, yet, uncertain tone made Alec’s heart melt. Smiling, he gave a positive hum. They both spent a couple of minutes in a comfortable silence before Magnus cleared his throat and sighed.  
  
“ _Well, anyway. I was wondering: would you like to go for a drink sometimes?_  
  
“That sounds fun,” Alec admitted, “Um. When?”  
  
_“How about now?”_  
  
As he was about to reply, he heard a huge _crash_ coming from Leo’s bedroom. Frowning, he pushed himself off of the counter and covered the mouthpiece.  
  
“Leo! What you doin’, buddy?”

  
“I’m trying to reach for the tool box!” he called back.  
  
“What do you need the toolbox for?” Alec asked, his frown deepening, “ _Leo!”_ he insisted when he didn’t get an answer.  
  
Swearing under his breath, he brought the phone back to his ear, walking out of the kitchen.  
  
“You know, now’s not a good time for me, I-“ He closed his eyes when he heard another loud thud, walking slightly faster, “Another time. Sorry, gotta go.”  
  
He didn’t wait for an answer before hanging up.  
  


* * *

  
  
Magnus frowned at his phone, pouting at it before he put it down on the counter.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
He looked up, meeting Jocelyn’s concerned gaze as she walked to the counter, a bottle of red wine in her hand. As an answer, Magnus pushed his empty glass toward her, resting his head against the cold surface. Cooing, Jocelyn refilled his glass with one hand while running her fingers through his hair.  
  
“Do we have boy or girl problem?”  
  
“We have a over 6 ft. tall, dark and handsome problem,” Magnus replied as he lifted his head, circling the rim of his glass with a finger.  
  
Jocelyn hummed, her head tilted to the side as she filled her own wineglass. Putting the bottle down, she leaned against the counter, lifted her glass and shot him a small smile. Returning the smile, Magnus clinked his glass with hers before taking a gulp of it.  
  
“What got you drinking so early?” Luke asked, squeezing Jocelyn’s hip as he walked behind her to check on the cooking vegetables.  
  
“Tall, Dark, Handsome and Troublesome men,” the redhead answered, turning around to shot her husband a grin.  
  
Swallowing the wine in his mouth, Magnus gave a nod. Turning away from the stove, Luke cocked an eyebrow at the two.  
   
“Should I feel concerned by that?”  
  
Chuckling, Jocelyn grabbed his belt and pulled him closer, her arms wrapping around his waist while Luke’s hands went to her hips.  
  
“You, Luke Garroway, are an exception,” she whispered, cupping his face with both of her hands.  
   
Luke grinned at her before leaning in, capturing her lips into a kiss. Jocelyn smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Magnus’s heart ached, torn between fondness and jealousy at the sight. Both Jocelyn and Luke had been through a lot: as friends, as lovers, as parents. Still, they had remained strong, unbreakable and, most of all, together. Magnus believed that most of their strength came from their union.  
   
Trying to wash out the bitter taste in the back of his throat, Magnus filled his glass to the rim, his gaze leaving the couple. Clary chose that moment to come in and plop in the stool next to him, claiming his wine as her own before he could protest. Taking a small gulp from the drink, the redhead gave an appreciative hum before pushing it back to Magnus, rolling her eyes when the latter immediately cradled the glass to his chest. Shaking her head, she turned away from him, only to grimace in distaste when met with her parents practically making out against the kitchen counter. Closing her eyes, she let out a groan of disgust.  
   
“Ugh, for the love of God! This is a living area, people eat here and shrinks are too expensive for my small art teacher’s salary. Please, _don’t._ ”  
   
“Speaking of people eating here,” Magnus intervened, frowning as he looked at the stove, “I’m pretty sure dinner’s burning.”  
   
At that, Jocelyn detangled herself from Luke, her eyes widening as she noticed the smoke coming from the pan. Swearing under her breath, she rushed to the stove, ignoring the snickers of Magnus and her daughter as Luke staggered back. Quickly regaining his footing, he cleared his throat and threw a glare at them, both of whom put on an innocent façade. Luke snorted and went to grab himself a beer out of the fridge and a clean wineglass.  
   
“Saved by the _chicken cacciatore,”_ Clary muttered. Magnus turned to her with a smirk and winked, earning a soft chuckle from the redhead.  
   
“Told you that your mother’s _chicken cacciatore_ had magic proprieties,” Simon jumped in, sliding between the two.  
   
Magnus’ smirk widened when the other man’s appearance made Clary jump. A chuckle actually escaped his lips when she punched his shoulder. Luke’s reappearance stopped any argument from starting. Tilting his head to the side, he handed Clary her glass, the latter accepting it with a small smile.  
   
“What are you still doing here?” he asked, frowning in confusion as he twisted open his bottle, “I thought you were supposed to be working tonight.”  
   
“I am, actually,” Simon said, getting his phone out of his pocket to check the time, “Soon. I was kinda hoping I’d have a bite of that magical chicken of yours, Mrs G.!” he added, a bit louder.  
   
“Is chicken really worth losing your job?” Clary asked, cocking an eyebrow as she poured herself some wine.  
   
“First of all, yes,” Simon replied without any hesitation, much to everyone’s disbelief, “Secondly, I won’t lose my job because Maia is covering for me. For now. I think."  
   
Clary snorted and Magnus rolled his eyes at him while Luke shook his head in fondness at Simon’s confused puppy expression.  
   
“Don’t worry, Si,” Jocelyn jumped back into the conversation, an amused grin on her face as she put the chicken inside the oven, “ I didn’t forget about you. And I’ll have this guy,’ she added, patting Luke’s shoulder, “bring you some of it when it’s done.”  
   
“You’re the best, Mrs G.,” Simon said, holding out a fist.  
   
Chuckling, she bumped his fist with hers before turning back to the stove. Clary narrowed her eyes at him and gave a small hum, her lips pursed in thought. Frowning, Simon turned his head to her and cocked a questioning eyebrow at her.  
   
“You know how we’re always in a rush whenever your mother’s cooking meatloaf, but you’re always lingering when Mom’s cooking _chicken cacciatore?_ ”  
   
“Yeeeeees…?” Simon dragged out the word, his tone weary. Rightfully so, if the slowly forming smirk on Clary’s face was anything to go by.  
   
“Me thinks,” she said, pointing a finger to herself while the other was tracing patterns on the rim of her glass, “that _you,”_ she poked Simon’s chest, “likes my mother’s cooking more than Mama Lewis’.”  
   
Her mischievous smirk grew larger as Simon blanched, his eyes wide-opening in panic.  
   
“I- I- that’s not what- you know that’s not true, they both have their… _specialities,”_ he winced at the wording, much to Clary’s delight.  
   
“Well, I’ll be sure to tell her that,” she slid down her seat, her voice too innocent and her tone too casual, “when I’ll send her message about your thoughts on her culinary talents.”  
   
“You wouldn’t-”  
   
“Wouldn’t I?” Clary retorted, holding up Simon’s unlocked – unsafe - phone for him to see.  
   
Swearing loudly, he jumped off the stool, prompting Clary to start running out of the kitchen with a squeal. Both Magnus and Luke grimaced, bracing themselves for screams or things breaking. Turning in his stool, Magnus braced his elbows on the counter behind him, his head tilted to the side as he watched Simon chase Clary, the latter trying to keep his phone out of reach. From the corner of his eye, Magnus could see Luke leaning onto the counter, loosely holding his bottle of beer by the neck.  
   
“Twenty bucks on Simon,” Magnus proposed, holding up a fist without looking at him.  
   
“Oh, you’ve got money to lose, my man. I have faith in my kid,” Luke bumped his fist with his.  
   
Magnus hummed, smirking as he watched Clary jump over the couch, nearly knocking the vase sitting next to it. His smirk widened when Simon grabbed her waist and lifted her off the ground. Luke scowled and brought his bottle to his mouth, shaking his head as Simon walked to the balcony, Clary squirming in his arms.  
   
“Yo, Luke,” he called, “Am I going to get arrested if I _accidentally_ drop your daughter from the balcony?”  
   
Simon pretended to swing her over the railing, smirking when Clary clung to his shirt, shrieking. With a sigh, Luke put down his beer and crossed his arms.  
   
“First of all, you _accidentally_ dropping my daughter from the balcony is actually involuntary manslaughter, just saying. Secondly, technically?” his lips puckered, Luke gave a casual shrug, “I’m off duty, so go for it, bud.”  
   
“ ** _Dad_!** ” Clary cried out, her tone indignant as she dipped her head back to glare at him.  
   
“Do you not fret, dearest daughter,” Luke raised his beer to her, winking, “I shall avenge you. As long you don’t give him his cell phone back.”  
Wrapping her arms around Simon’s neck, Clary gave a loud groan and slowly rolled her eyes, expressing her exasperation. Jocelyn reappeared between her husband, taking a quick sip from her glass and wiping sweat off her forehead. With a sigh, she narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting from Clary to Simon, to the pair sitting at the counter.  
   
“You two,” Jocelyn started, putting her hands on Magnus’ and Luke’s shoulders, “need to stop taking bets and help me with dinner,” she didn’t let them protest before turning back to Clary and Simon, pointing at the latter, then the former, “ _You_ need to put her down on the carpeted floor of my living room, please and thank you, and rush to work. _You,_ ignore these idiots and give him back his phone. I’m going to need your help too.”  
   
Smirking at Magnus and Luke’s pouts, Jocelyn patted her husband’s cheek before turning back to her cooking. With a groan, Simon unceremoniously dropped Clary back onto the floor, ignoring her glare as he held out a hand, his expression expectant. From their side of the room, Magnus mimicked the action, waggling his eyebrows at Luke. Sullen, she slammed the device in his palm and let out a snicker when he winced in pain, before skipping cheerfully to the kitchen. With a sigh, Simon shook his head and stuffed his phone into his back pocket, giving a two-finger salute as he made his way to the door.  
   
“Later, losers! You better share that money with me, Magnus,” he called.  
   
Magnus winked at him, smirking at Luke as the latter slammed two bills of ten in his opened hand. Luke snorted, mumbling under his breath as he stuffed his wallet into his pocket. Magnus chuckled and put his money into his breast pocket before raising his drink to his lips. Sobering, Luke licked his lips and cleared his throat, his head cocked to the side.  
   
“About that ‘ _Tall, Dark, Handsome and Troublesome’_ problem-“ he started.  
   
“Ah, don’t worry your pretty head about it! There’s nothing to be concerned about,” Magnus interrupted before tilting his head to the side, his lips puckered in thought, “At least, background checks won’t be necessary. For now.”  
   
“I’m being serious, Magnus,” Luke countered, his eyebrows frowned, “I _know_ you. Most importantly, I know how quickly you get attached to people. I was there when Camille-”  
   
“Ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it with her designer high heels?” Magnus added, his tone bitter and his smile sardonic, “Yeah, I remember. Fun, _fun_ times.”  
   
Magnus also remembered downing bottle after bottle to numb the pain. He remembered pushing everyone away, keeping his binds closed as he hid in his apartment. He remembered glimpses of Luke breaking down his door, Will following close behind, after he had ignored his phone for a week. He barely remembered Will ripping the pill’s bottle out of his hands before yelling for Luke to call 911. He remembered waking up in a hospital room, his bed surrounded by his friends and family, Catarina’s red-rimmed eyes staring down at him as she adjusted his IV drip.  
   
Luke’s sigh brought Magnus out of his reverie. Blinking, he turned back to Luke, the latter rubbing the back of his neck.  
   
“I’m just concerned, alright? And I’m not the only one, you’ve got a _lot_ of people that worry and care about you. We all want through hell last year, you especially.”  
   
Luke threw a look behind him, where both Jocelyn and Clary discussed while working on dinner. His jaw clenched, Magnus followed his line of sight and swallowed the lump in her throat as he watched Clary throwing back her head, laughing. Looking back at him, Luke cocked his eyebrows and rested a hand on his arm.  
   
“I just want you to be careful, alright?”  
   
Giving him a small smile, Magnus cleared his throat and nodded.  
   
“Yeah,” he muttered.  
   
Returning his smile, Luke squeezed his arm before letting it fall back onto the counter. With a sigh, Magnus held up his glass, an eyebrow cocked, to which Luke responded with a soft chuckle, clicking his bottle to Magnus’ wineglass before they both downed their drinks in one-go. Clary skipped to the counter, wrapping both of her arms around Luke’s neck.  
   
“Fellas, as magical Mom’s _chicken cacciatore_ is, we actually need someone to do the salad and someone else to set the table.”  
   
Snorting, Luke shot a look at Magnus, the latter shrugging in response before getting up from his chair and heading to the kitchen cupboard. With a sigh, he squeezed Clary’s hands and got up from his chair, dragging the redhead with him as he did so.

 

* * *

  
“Why did we need the toolbox for again?” Alec asked, his eyes squinting at the sun, as they got closer to the edge of the wood.  
   
Leo let out an overdramatic sigh – a habit that he had seemed to pick on from either Jace or Isabelle – and leaned his head against the windows, staring at the defiling landscape.  
   
“We _need_ it to fix the tree house,” he retorted, his tone implying that it was obvious and that his question was stupid.  
   
Alec hummed, cocking an eyebrow as he made a sharp turn, an arm hanging out the window. Leo had always been an outdoor kid, rolling in the mud and climbing tress – breaking arms when falling out of it, much to Alec’s dismay. Point was, as soon as he had started walking, the little boy had been almost impossible to watch over. He was always on the move and had developed a weird obsession with green spaces and woods – Alec had blamed Helen’s constant presence when Leo was younger. Without any surprise, the young boy’s favourite place in the city had become Central Park. When he had gotten tired of the park and chasing squirrels, Leo decided to drag his father - by dragging, Alec had meant the only thing Leo had to do was batting his eyelashes to him. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t needed more to be convinced. They’d spent days walking or riding bikes in the woods, sometimes having family picnics there or camping there.  
   
One day, Leo had come up with the idea of having his own tree house. He hadn’t been that surprised about that – most of the boys in his kindergarten had their personal tree houses. However, contrary to them, they were living in a flat and hadn’t the space for a tree house. A few weeks after he had discussed it with his mother, Maryse somehow had gotten a construction permit for Leo to build a tree house within the woods, as long as they didn’t disturb the natural habitat. At the time, Alec had argued against it, protesting that it would be easier for Leo to have a tree house installed in his _abuelos’_ garden. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the information to reach the boy’s ears. After that, it had been pretty difficult for Alec to go back and deny everything.  
   
Tilting his head to the side, Alec threw a quick look behind his shoulder before he turned back to the road, processing to park his Jeep.  
   
“What needs to be repaired?”  
   
“Last time I went to check, there was a leak into the roof. Plus I wanted to add fairy lights in it. It’ll look better,” Leo explained, lifting a shoulder.  
   
Alec snorted, stopped the car and jumped out of it, opening Leo’s door on his way to the trunk. Hissing his duffle bag on his shoulder, he then grabbed his toolbox and watched from the corner of his eye as Leo gathered his stuff before turning to his father, unbalanced by the weight of his bags. With a fond eye roll, he took his sleeping bag out of his arms, ignoring his protesting as he grinned down at him.  
   
“Whatever you say, little man,” Alec nodded his head toward the clearing, “Lead the way, Chief.”  
 

* * *

  
 From his position on the ladder, Alec watched in wonder and amusement as Leo got a list out of his back pocket, moving through the small shelter. He was always amazed by the way Leo took good care of his tree house: he always made sure that every hole would be filled, he always left nuts for the squirrels on the ledge of his ‘window’. With his father and uncles’ help, he had shaped a living, fully furnished small space. Sure, the furniture had came from Toy’R’Us and his fireplace was just a poster stuck onto the wall – Thank. _God -_ but still, it was an space that Leo had housed according to his tastes and mostly by himself.  
   
Alec watched with an amused smile as Leo took the tangled firelights out of one of his bags, staring at the ornaments as if it had offended him personally.  
   
“You alright up there?” Alec called, tilting his head up.  
   
“Uh. Could you come and help me with something?” he asked, poking his head out of his ‘window, his brow furrowed.  
   
“Yeah, sure,” he retorted, frowning.  
   
He quickly walked up the ladder and he hissed himself into the tree house, his legs hanging as he observed Leo trying to hang his lights with pieces of tap. With a sigh, Alec pushed himself fully into the tree house, grabbed a hammer and nails out of the toolbox, putting them into his mouth before he pushed Leo to the side.  
   
“Where do you want it to be?” he mumbled, crossing his legs to be more comfortable, “All around the tree house or just on this wall?”  
   
“All around the tree house,” Leo answered, a sheepish smile on his face as he rocked back and forth on his heels.  
   
Snorting, Alec sat on his knees and began to hammer the nails into the walls, turning on his knees. After making sure that all walls had been covered in nails, he untangled the fairy lights and hanged them all around the house. Taking a step back, he let out a satisfied sigh before turning to Leo, the latter observing the ornaments through narrowed eyes.  
   
“It’ll do,” Leo said, nodding to himself  
   
“I’m glad it pleases you, my liege,” Alec deadpanned, wiping his hands on his pants, “Shall we light them now or wait for when it’s dark?”  
   
“Hmm… Wait for when it’s dark,” Leo answered, “Can we go eat, now? I’m hungry.”  
   
Alec snorted, ruffled his hair and carefully backed out of the tree house, his feet instantly finding the bars of the ladder beneath him. When he deemed he was close enough to the ground, he jumped off the ladder, immediately berating himself when Leo did the same and ended up on his butt. Alec rushed to him and helped him back on his feet, scanning Leo’s small frame for any injury.  
   
“You okay?”  
   
With a frown, Leo whacked his hands away and walked to the fire pit Alec had begun to build earlier.  
   
“I’m fine. Wasn’t that big of a fall,” he muttered.  
   
Alec couldn’t help but wince when he noticed him rubbing his bottom in discomfort. Leo was right, though; it hadn’t been that big of a fall. Still, he couldn’t help but the feeling of his heart clenching at the sight of his son hurting. With a sigh, Alec shook his head and went to join Leo by the pit, taking a box of matches out of his pocket while Leo was going through the contents of their food basket. Snorting, Alec swat his hands away, got out a juice box and cucumber sandwich and put it down in front of him, watching with a smirk as Leo immediately bite into it.  
   
Cracking a match, he threw it into the pit and poked at the twigs as the fire slowly spread. Throwing the stick into the fire, he covered the pit with a grill before going back to rummage through the food basket.  
   
“Hey Dad?” Leo asked, his mouth full. He took Alec’s hum an invitation to continue, “how was Mom with camping?”  
   
“Oh,” Alec snickered, getting out a bunch of hotdog sausages, “she **_loved_** it.”

 

* * *

  
   
_“I_ **hate** _camping.”_  
  
_Alec restrained himself from rolling his eyes as he jumped out of his beat out Jeep. Still in the passenger side, Lydia glared at the windshield, with a pout on her face and her arms crossed. Cocking an eyebrow at her petulant behaviour, Alec let out a scoff and slammed his door shut, smirking when the blonde startled at the loud noise. He shot her a sheepish grin when she scowled at him, his head tilted to the side as he leaned against the car._  
  
“ _I thought you never went camping.”_  
   
“ _That doesn’t mean I want to!” Lydia retorted, her tone slightly whiny._  
  
_This time, Alec_ **did** _roll his eyes, shaking his head before he moved to the trunk to grab their bags. Groaning, Lydia unfastened her seatbelt, got out of the car and put her head up in a tight ponytail before joining her husband by the truck. Alec turned to her with a smile and took off his cap before plopping it on her head backwards. It did nothing to improve her mood, unsurprisingly. With a sigh, he handed Lydia her bag, which she took begrudgingly, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, slowly leading her toward the woods._  
  
_“You’re a Lightwood now. Camping is a mandatory step to join the family._  
  
_“Is it too late to fill for divorce?” she muttered, snickering when Alec frowned down at her disapprovingly._  
   
_“You’re hilarious,” Alec deadpanned, his arm slipping off her shoulders as he began to walk away._  
  
_“No, no, no! I’m serious. Like **dead** serious,” Lydia shouted, running to catch with up with him, “I’d like to fill my demand before some racoon bite my toes off.”_  
  
_Alec stopped and turned to her with a disgusted scowl plastered on his face. Lydia shrugged, her eyebrows up._  
  
_“That’s a legitimate concern, Alec.”_  
  
_“Come on, Lyds. Cheer up,” he grinned down at her, waggling his eyebrows, “Just think about what your mother will say after learning you went to camp in the wild for a night. How outrageous.”_  
  
_Stiffening a smile, Lydia tilted to her side and hummed in thought._  
  
_“I suppose it’s motivation enough. But-”she held out a hand, “If some raccoon or squirrel bite off my toes during the night, I’m killing you and leaving your body to rot and for them to devour.”_  
  
_Narrowing his eyes at the threat, Alec shook his head at her. She was spending more and more time with Isabelle, the latter having obviously influenced on the older woman. You’d thought that he’d be happy that his sister and wife were close – wasn’t that what every man wanted, after all – but they were both already terrifying as individuals. Alec dreaded what they would be able to do if they were to join their brains together. He wouldn’t be surprised if they were able to take over the world on their own._  
  
_“What kind of squirrel would be able to bite off your toes?” Alec asked, an eyebrow cocked in question._  
  
_Lydia shot him a_ **‘really-that’s-what-you-took-from-that-sentence’** look before sighing.  
   
“ _Have you ever met a New York squirrel? Those fuckers are rapid,” she retorted, her eyes wide-opened to emphasis._  
  
_“That’s true,” Alec snorted, earning a smirk from Lydia, “Well, as long as I promise I won’t let any rabid animals chew on your toes, will you stop complaining? We’re losing daylight.”_  
  
_He rolled his eyes as she pretended to ponder upon on the question, her lips pursed in thought. Turning back to him, she shot him a smirk._  
  
_“You have yourself a deal, Lightwood.”_  


  
_***_

  
_“Anyway, what’s your family deal with camping in the wild?” Lydia asked, waiting for her marshmallow to melt. At Alec’s confused frown, she added, “I mean, I’ve met your mother. She doesn’t strike me as a camper type.”_  
  
_He chuckled at that. Clearing his throat, he grabbed Lydia’s branch and threw away the burnt marshmallow, much to the blonde’s indignation. Grinning, he gave his already made s’more before putting a new one onto the fire, enjoying the heat that emanated from it._  
  
_“It’s a tradition. We started it when Jace first arrived. Both of our parents were always working, we didn’t get to see them. So, they decided that, at least, once a month, we would do something as a family. They really wanted Jace to feel like he belonged, so they let him choose. Whatever his choice was, we didn’t have the right to argue against it or whine about it. Which Izzy didn’t like very much,” Alec remembered with an amused smile, “She was used to being the special snow flake, the precious and only girl in the family.”_  
  
_“And he chose camping, I presume?” Lydia said, a small smile on her face, chewing on her snack. At his nod, she asked, “And how did Izzy reacted to that choice?”_  
  
_“Surprisingly, pretty well. They both were outdoor-y kids, so there was no whining or feet stomping. I was more of a quiet bookworm, who liked to stay in the safety of his own bedroom. Max is both, I guess.”_  
  
_“Why am I not surprised?” Lydia teased, sucking the chocolate on her thumb. Alec rolled his eyes at her, “And did they convince you to leave your cavern?”_  
  
_Taking a branch off the bonfire, he popped a melted marshmallow into his mouth, slightly wincing as it burned his tongue._  
  
_“They told me I was allowed to take my books as long I partake in an activity. That’s when I started archery. Beside,” Alec looked at the dark blue sky, a sheepish smile stretching his lips, “seeing the Milky Way is better than reading about it.”_  
  
_Lydia followed his gaze, a frown on her face. Noticing it, Alec slid next to her and handed her the bag of marshmallow. She popped one in her mouth and put another at the end of her branch._  
  
_“We won’t see it tonight,” he explained, wearing a frown on his own, “there are too much clouds. Another time, maybe?”_  
  
_Lydia threw him a brief glance, the corner of her mouth lifting into a half smile, before she looked back up, her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed in concentration. Crossing his legs and arms; Alec returned his eyes to the sky, the soft breeze of March and noise of crickets strangely soothing. After a couple more minutes of contemplation, Lydia broke the silence and extended her arm to the sky._  
  
_“Those are constellations, right?_  
  
_Alec looked at the group of stars she was pointing to and nodded._  
  
_“Yes, it is. Well, it’s one constellation. It’s the Big Dipper, more commonly known as the Great Bear. See that?” he asked, pointing to a particular trail of stars, “that’s its tail. And if you look above it, you can see its cub, or The Little Bear.”_  
  
_With a satisfied smile, Alec looked down at Lydia, frowning when he found her staring back at him, an amused smile on her face._  
  
_“What?” he said in a defensive tone._  
  
_His frown deepened when she started to laugh, leaning her head against his shoulder. Alec was tempted to slide away and let her fall onto the ground. And if he weren’t deadly terrified of Lydia, he would have. But he was, so he didn’t. Sobering, she lifted her head from his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his, a grin on her face._  
  
_“Alexander Lightwood, you are such a nerd,” she teased, “you’re lucky you’re pretty.”_  
  
_With a scoff, Alec flicked her forehead and rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the blonde’s pout. Sighing, she rested her chin on his shoulder._  
  
_“But seriously, if you weren’t studying to become a lawyer, you could make a decent writer,” at his grimace, she squeezed his arm, “I’m serious, Alec. You’re a great storyteller.”_  
  
_“Where is this coming from? I just told you about constellations,” he protested._  
  
_“It’s not what you were talking about that’s compelling – not that it wasn’t extremely interesting - that’s the way you say it. Your eyes lit up and your hands were constantly in movement. You’re passionate about things that matter to you and it’s pretty amazing.”_  
  
_Smiling, Alec ducked his head to hide the rising blush on his cheeks and ran his fingers through his hair, probing the fire with a long stick. Noticing his flustered face, Lydia cleared her throat and rested her cheek on his shoulder, looking up at the stars._  
  
_“Alright, nerd. Which star am I supposed to follow to go to Neverland?”_  
  
_Snorting at the sudden change of subject, Alec rested his cheek on her head and hummed in thought._  
  
_“Second star to the right.”_  
  
_“How am I supposed to know which one is it?” Lydia muttered, frowning._  
  
_“Missed your shot, Lyds,” he sighed in a fake disappoint, “It’s supposed to be the second that appears in the sky. I think it’s too late for that.”_  
  
_“Aw, damn,” she lamented before she let out a loud yawn, earning a snort from Alec. Ignoring him, she lifted her head from his shoulder and sighed, “Another time, then.”_  
  
_At that, Alec turned to her, a wide grin plastered on his face, and nodded._  
  
_“Another time, then,” he repeated softly._  


* * *

  
  
“What was her favourite constellation?” Leo asked, munching in his hot dog.  
   
Shaking himself out of his trance, Alec turned to his son, the latter staring intensely at him, and frowned.  
   
“I’m not sure,” he muttered, “I don’t think she chose one. Didn’t want to do favouritism,” he added with a smirk, getting a grin in return from Leo, “what about you? Do you have a favourite one?”  
   
Stuffing the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, Leo wiped his hands on his pants and frowned, thoughtful. For a second, Alec found it difficult to breathe: it was uncanny how, at moments, he found pieces of Lydia in Leo. Whether it was in the way his eyes narrowed when he was thinking really hard about something, the way he tilted his head to the side when he listened to something with interest or the way he scrunched up his nose whenever he yawned. Clearing his throat, he plastered a small smile on when Leo turned back to him, his gaze hesitant.  
   
“Now that I think about it, it isn’t really fair for me to have a favourite, is it?”  
   
Alec couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his mouth, his chuckle turning into a laugh even more when he noticed Leo’s small pout and frown. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, he brought him closer and kissed the top of his head. Finally, Leo stopped struggling against his hold and leaned in, wrapping his arms around his waist.  
   
“You know, you really remind me of your mother, sometimes.”  
   
Lifting his head from his chest, Leo tilted his head to the side, his eyes curious.  
   
“How so?”  
   
Clearing his throat, Alec grabbed the bag of marshmallows behind his back, took out a handful out of it and waited for Leo to hold out his hand so he could give them to him. He watched, with a fond smile, as he carefully slid his marshmallows down the stick Alec had given him.  
   
“Well, first of all, you both share the same sense of justice. Or maybe, you got it from me, who knows. Secondly, you both got that pouty expression that gets me to do anything you want. And finally,” he reached for Leo’s stick, grimacing at the black marshmallows before he got rid of them and handed him his branch, “you both don’t know how to correctly roast ‘mallows.”  
   
Leo scowled and reluctantly accepted the food, spreading the melted marshmallow onto a cracker and popping it in his mouth. Alec smiled and wiped the corner of the small boy’s mouth with a thumb, snickering when he swat his hand away. Sobering, he looked back to the dark, night sky and found himself looking for the _Great Bear._  
  
“Hey, Dad?”  
   
“Yes, Leo?”  
   
“…Do you think Mom would have been proud of me?”  
   
Frowning at the uncertainty he heard in the small boy’s voice, Alec looked back down at Leo, the latter twirling his branch between his fingers while avoiding his father’s gaze. Crossing his arms, he cocked his head to the side and nudged his side with his elbow.  
   
“Of course she would’ve been proud of you. Why wouldn’t she?” Leo responded with a shrug, prompting Alec to pinch his hip, “Seriously, where did that came from?”  
   
Leo shrugged again, much to Alec’s concern and irritation. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, looking up at the heavens for help or an answer; he didn’t care whichever came first.  
   
“The fight,” Leo mumbled, leaning into his father’s side. Alec kept quiet, waiting for him to continue talking, “You were mad about it, so I thought that if she had been here, Mom would’ve been disappointed in me. I don’t know,” he shrugged again, burying his face in Alec’s chest.  
   
Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Alec swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat during his son’s rant. Clearing his throat, he brought Leo closer to him and leaned his cheek on the top of his head.  
   
“Hey, I wasn’t mad about the fight,” he assured before snorting at the disbelieved look he was sending him, “I _wasn’t._ I was… upset, surprised and worried. But I wasn’t mad or disappointed in you. Neither would’ve been your mother.”  
   
And she wouldn’t have been, Alec knew that for sure. Lydia would’ve probably high-fived him and ignored his disapproving stare. She would have been the cool, lenient mother while he would’ve to be the strict and no-non-sense father. However, Lydia wasn’t there, which forced Alec to juggle both roles, often unevenly. Thankfully, his brothers and sister being the fun uncles and aunt somehow restored the balance: whenever they deemed him to be too severe, they would sweep in and save the day by sneaking snacks to Leo or ganging up on Alec. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he looked down at Leo, the latter still frowning in thought.  
   
“What’s going on in that head of yours, oh dear son of mine?”  
   
“Nothing,” he sighed, throwing his stick to the side, “I just… Is it weird for me to miss her even though I never… _really_ knew her?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Alec surprised himself with the vehemence of his answer. And if the look of bewilderment on Leo’s face were anything to go by, so was he. What surprised him more was his son’s hesitant and uncertain tone. Propping his chin on the top of his head, Alec gave his arm a squeeze.  
   
“Listen, I’d be worried if you didn’t actually missed her,” he lifted a shoulder when Leo threw him a puzzled look, “She’s a part of you, and though she isn’t here anymore, that doesn’t change.”  
   
Leo hummed, bringing his knees to his chest.  
   
“I miss her a lot,” he muttered.  
   
“I miss her a lot too,” Alec breathed out, looking up at the starry sky. Tilting his head to the side, the corner of his mouth twisted upward, “Which star to Neverland, again?”  
   
“Second to the right,” Leo replied without an ounce of hesitation.  
   
“And which one is that?” he insisted, faking confusion.  
   
“Um, I think we missed it,” Leo narrowed his eyes, as if looking for the specific star.  
   
“Aw. Another time, then,” Alec leaned back, using his hands as a support.  
   
Chuckling, Leo looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow at his father, the latter looking back at him, an expectant look on his face.  
   
“You always say that,” he stated, an amused grin on his face.  
   
Returning his grin, Alec shrugged again.  
   
“There will always be other times and other chances for us to find it,” he answered, “Call me hopeful.”  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks a bunch for reading this chapter, please don't forget to leave a comment down below to tell me what you thought about it ! you can also find me on tumblr, @generaleiafisher!
> 
> until next time, lovelies  
> Kadi.


	9. nothing short of heroic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know,” she started after swallowing the water in her mouth, “Despite your reluctance and utter dislike of this trial, I’m betting on you to win it. So pay attention to the meeting, wear your best smile and don’t make a fool of yourself.”
> 
> Alec blinked at her when she bopped his nose with a finger, her smile both amused and menacing. His heads tilted to the side, he narrowed her eyes at her and leaned forward, causing Maryse to take a couple of steps back, slightly taken aback.
> 
> “You literally bet on me, didn’t you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL ! I'VE UPDATED ! NEW CHAPTER YAY ! Anyway, I'll stop. For some reason, this chapter was really hard for me to write but I'm glad with how it came out. Hopefully you'll like it too.
> 
> Thank you a million times for the kind words and encouragement. I don't think you know how much it means to me, you keep me going guys. Thanks again. Honestly, I can't thank you enough.
> 
> Enough with that emotion bull and onto the chapter, loves !

**“** Helen wants to adopt.”

 

These were the first words that left Aline’s mouth the second Alec got out of his car. Not ‘ _Good Morning’,_ nor a snide remark about his personal life, or lack of. She dropped the bombshell on him and stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. After Alec realized he had been gaping at her like a fish out of his pond, he closed his mouth, his brow furrowed.

 

“Uh… Congrats?”

 

He realized that it wasn’t the response she had been waiting for when she groaned and shoved a Styrofoam carry-mug in his hands before spinning on her heels and storming into the building. Though bemused, Alec quickly caught up with her, people parting like the Red Sea at their passage.

 

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s a good thing, right?”

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Of course_ it’s a good thing!” Helen exclaimed as she entered the Youth Center, Jace on her heels, “her reaction was just… _off._ ”

 

Jace didn’t know what he had expected when Helen had asked his help with a particular group of troubled kids she had been working with. Maybe he could’ve stayed in the background while Helen would conduct the session. Maybe he would’ve stayed organize a game of basketball from them to spend their energy and canalize their hostility. Jace hadn’t expected for Helen to corner him in the parking lot, her eyes wide opened and panicked.

 

Frowning, he tilted his head to the side and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

 

“How was her reaction…’ _off’?_ ”

 

Helen stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, giving him a helpless shrug.

 

“I don’t know! It was just… off.”

“Come on, Blackthorn, use your big girl words!” Jace retorted, to which she responded with a glare, “you’re giving me nothing I can work with, her.”

 

Sighing, Helen ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the wall. Jace mimicked her posture, waiting patiently for her to talk.

 

“She just didn’t say anything.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“Because I didn’t know what to say!” Aline snapped, “What do you say to your wife when she tells you she wants to adopt?”

 

Alec groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose before he took a long gulp of coffee as they waited in front of the elevators. He frowned at Aline when the latter began to frantically press the ‘ _call’_ button. Letting out a breath through his nose, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, ignoring her scowl as he led her away from the elevators.

 

“Seriously, you’re freaking me out.”

 

“Because I _am freaking out_ , Alec!” Aline cried out, ripping her hand out of his grasp, “Rightfully so.”

 

Tilting his head to the side, Alec took the time to observe his cousin. While no strand of hair escaped her tight ponytail and her dress was wrinkle-free, he noticed the little things: the dark bags under her eyes, for example or her chipped red polish and fidgeting hands. That was enough to make Alec worry.

 

“Alright. You love Helen, right?”

 

“Of course I do, what kind of stupid question is that?” Aline retorted, rolling her eyes.

 

“Then what got you so freaked out?”

 

Aline opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out of it. She closed it back, biting on her bottom lips as she played with her fingers and tried to ignore his gaze.

 

“Aline-” Alec started.

 

The elevator’s doors opening provided her the perfect escape. Letting out a sigh of relief, she rushed into the elevator, Alec on her heels.

 

“Aline, come on-” he tried again.

 

“I’m just not ready, Alec!” she hissed, glaring at him, “it’s just too soon.”

 

* * *

 

“How can it be _too soon_?” Helen exclaimed, gathering folders from her office while Jace waited for her, leaning against the doorframe, “we’ve been married for six years!”

 

Jace sighed and pushed himself from the doorframe, fully entering the office.

 

“Being married is one thing, adopting a child is another.”

 

“Yeah, no shit, Lightwood,” she spat before letting out a sigh, dropping into her chair, “Sorry, I’m just frustrated.”

 

He shot her a small smile and pulled out a chair, sitting in front of her.

 

“Hey, it’s fine.”

 

“No, _it isn’t_!” Helen whined, dropping her head into her hands, “Nothing’s fine.”

 

His brow furrowed, Jace pushed the blonde locks out of his eyes and waited for her to look back up, taking one of her hands in his and intertwining their fingers together. Looking down at their joined hands, Helen blew out a breath and gave it a small squeeze.

 

“Maybe it _is_ too soon,” she murmured, more to herself than to Jace. Still, the latter kept quiet and listened, “Maybe, we’re not ready to have a kid. Maybe we want different things- I mean, when was the last time Aline and I agreed on something?” she added, letting out a weak chuckle before sobering. Do I sound crazy to you?”

“A little,” Jace admitted, a teasing grin on his face. Helen glared down at him, bending his fingers back until he let out a wince, “Okay, ow, ow, ow! This is not the moment for jokes, got it. Don’t break my hand.”

 

With a satisfy hum, she let go of his hand and leaned back into her chair, ignoring his muttering about her so-called anger managements issues. She stiffened a smirk when she watched him flexing and shaking his fingers, a grimace on his face and focused onto the opened folder onto her door, hoping in to reign in her thoughts and doubts. Jace watched her re-read before the same sentence five times, a frown plastered on her face before he let out a sigh.

 

“Aline loves you. You know that, right?”

 

“Of course I know that!” Helen retorted, her frown deepening as she looked up, “I do,” she repeated, as if to convince herself, unconsciously twisting her ring around her finger.

 

“And you do know that Aline’s indecision has nothing to with you or the fact that she doesn’t want to have a family with you,” Jace continued, a smile appearing on his face as he noticed the nervous tic.

 

Helen kept quiet, her bright eyes staring into his. His smile widening into a smirk, Jace leaned back into his chair and crossed a leg over the other one, his fingers drumming against his ankle.

 

“I’ve known the girl most of my life, Blackthorn,” he continued, understanding her silence as a sign for him to keep talking, “And she’s a real piece of work. She’s stubborn, bull-headed and holds her opinions very close to her heart. But in the end of the day, she is… _Aline,”_ he shrugged, breathing out her name as if it explained everything. And in some strange way, it did, “Despite her stubbornness and passion, she’s that loving, sometimes unsure woman who will always do anything and everything for the ones she loves. Which includes you, Blackthorn.”

 

Jace leaned in, blowing a raspberry at her as he poked her cheek with a finger. Her nose wrinkled, Helen batted his hand away, letting out a small chuckle. Smirking in satisfaction at the noise, he jumped out of his chair.

 

“Which is why I know, without a doubt, that things will work between the both of you. Just let her … some time to think,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 

A small smile plastered on her face, Helen gave him a nod, silently telling him that she had heard and understood what he had said. Sliding out of her chair, she walked to him and let out a dramatic sigh, her head tilted to the side.

 

“When did you become so wise and good at pep talks?”

 

“Pshaw!” Jace scoffed, throwing his head back, “I’ve always been good at pep talks and extremely wise. It came with the good looks, babe,” he gestured to his face, smirking at Helen’s snort and eye roll, “Now, come on. Let’s go work out some troubled teens and shoot loops!”

 

“The person with the lower score will have to buy lunch?” Helen proposed, putting her blonde hair in a high ponytail as they walked out the door.

 

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Okay, what this is really about?”

 

Aline ignored Alec and rushed to her desk as soon they got to their floor. Restraining a groan, he downed the rest of his coffee and threw the empty Styrofoam cup into a trash bin nearby. He watched as Aline drop her bag onto her desk, getting out her tablet and cell phone out of it before beginning to turn the lights. He stopped in front of her, his hands stuffed in his back pockets.

 

“You know, you’re the one who started this conversation,” Alec said, his eyebrows up.

 

“And I’m putting an end to it,” she retorted, powering her laptop without looking up at him, “Seriously, Alec. It’s fine.”

 

“It obviously _isn’t_ ,” he argued, pulling the chair facing her desk and sitting in it, “ _You_ aren’t fine, Ali. Come on. Talk to me,” he insisted, pulling her laptop away from her.

 

Aline breathed out through her nose and shoot him, groaning at Alec’s undeterred expression. Leaning back in her chair, she ran her fingers through her hair and gave a small shrug.

 

“I feel like we’re on different paths,” she muttered, earning a confused frown from Alec, “I don’t want to be a mother. Well, it’s not that I don’t _want_ to become a mother; it’s just that- I don’t know how. It’s not like I’ve had the best model to follow,” she added with a self-deprecating laugh, “And Helen, she- she’s put a lot of thoughts into this and I don’t want to crush her hopes.”

 

Alec watched as she gave a small shrug and bowed down her head, avoiding his inquisitive gaze. With a sigh, he got up from his chair and walked around, crouching in front of her and taking one of her hands in his.

 

“Hey, look at me,” Alec asked, his voice soft. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth at her reluctance. He pushed back a tendril of hair behind her ear, “It’s okay for you to have your doubts. It _is,”_ he assured, squeezing her hand when she snorted, “It’s alright for you to freak out. I mean, do you think that I learned to be a father in a snap? That I didn’t have my doubts and fears? I was scared shitless. I still am, sometimes.”

 

“You’re a pretty great father,” Aline admitted, her voice quiet as she rubbed the back of Alec’s hand with her thumb, “And Leo’s turned pretty great.

 

“Yeah because I had _you,”_ he insisted, “I had _all of you_ to help me and Leo and I still do. And you’ll have us to help, no matter what choice you’ll make. Because that’s the deal with family, we’ll help each other through everything, whether it’s good or bad. And I had my fair share of screw up with Leo, trust me. I’ve learned for my mistakes and gotten better. I’m still improving myself, I’m still learning. I guess the point I’m trying to make is… being a parent is a lifelong work,” Alec shot her a small, reassuring smile, “and if you do decide to become a mother – mothers – I have no doubt that you’ll be a pretty great one too.”

 

Aline’s responding grin eased Alec’s worries. Giving her hand one last squeeze, he let go of it and got back to his feet, clearing his throat.

 

“Now, I believe we’ve got quite the busy day,” he sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “Talk me through it,” he asked, leaning against the desk’s corner.

“We’ve got a meeting with a new client this morning at 10. You, then, have the reunion concerning the mock trial before lunch,” Aline stiffened a smirk at his long-suffering groan, “And finally, you’ve got a couple of mediations in the afternoon,” she drummed her fingers against the tablet’s screen and lifted her head, cocking an eyebrow at him, “Better get to it, Boss.”

 

Alec hummed, grabbing his bag off the floor as he made his way to his office.

 

“Hey Alec?” Aline called, her tone hesitant. He turned back to her, an eyebrow up in question, “thank you.”

 

He responded with a crooked grin and small nod.

 

“Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

 

 **“** Alright, settle down guys. Settle down,” Magnus instructed, clapping his hands a few times until the entire class was completely silent, “Come on, the sooner we start, the faster we’ll be done with it and everyone can go to lunch.”

 

Pushing back the sleeves of his dark red Henley, Magnus rounded his desk and went to lean against the front of it. He couldn’t help but smile as his eyes scanned the room, taking each of his students and the way they were clothed. Despite his choice of profession being questioned and discussed numerous times between his friends and acquaintances, Magnus never regretted going into teaching. While it had its disadvantages, he found him enjoying the small things, such as seeing his students dressed up as superheroes or wearing suits for his class. Swallowing a chuckle, he crossed his arms against his chest and wanted to for every person to quiet down before he started speaking again. Finally, a long and sharp whistle put an end to the chatter, all heads turning to glare at the offender.

 

“Thank you, Mr Velasquez. Hopefully, this won’t be necessary in the future. Nor it will be allowed,” Magnus said, staring meaningfully at the young boy wearing a _Batman_ costume, the latter squirming in his seat. “Now that I finally have your attention, we’re going to start. Last week, we started working on the concept of hero and heroism. I can see that all of you are dressed and ready for your presentations.”

 

He smirked in amusement as half of his students tried to disappear behind their tables while the other half sat up, pulling on their sleeves as if to show off their costumes.

 

“First of all, we’re going to go over the very definition of hero,” Magnus hissed him up on his desk, his feet rocking in the air, “What _is_ a hero?”

 

He watched, waiting patiently as he watched them exchange reluctant gazes, as if trying to convince one another to raise their hands so they wouldn’t have to. He was pretty sure he heard someone whispering about ‘ _taking one for the team.’_ With a sigh, he leaned back and pulled his drawer open, taking a bag of candies out of it.

 

“Alright. Different tactic,” Magnus announced, shaking the bag in front of him, “An answer for a candy. Remember guys, there’s no wrong answer. You’ll get one as long as you participate,” he smiled at the new eagerness he had noticed when he had gotten the sweets, “Let’s try that again. What is a hero, according to you?”

 

Magnus perked up at the sight of a tentative, raised hand.

 

“Zoë,” he called, preparing a candy for him to throw at her.

 

“A hero is a person who does good things for others,” Zoe answered, nervously adjusting her cat ears on the top of her head

 

Magnus shot her a reassuring smile and gave her a small nod before throwing the wrapped candy at her, his smile widening when she caught without much difficulty.

 

“Nice,” he approved, popping a candy into his own mouth, “You’re right, a hero is a good person who does good things for others. Anything else to add? Bat,” he designated, smiling at the frantically waving hand.

 

“A hero can be real and he can also be fictional, like **_Batman_** or those guys in Greek Mythology,” he replied, grinning in satisfaction at his response.

 

“That’s very true,” Magnus agreed, letting out a small chuckle as he struggled to catch the candy, “Someone else?”

 

He watched for a couple of minutes as his students, once again, exchanged looks, some helplessly shrugging while others tried to sink in their chairs. Letting out a sigh, Magnus let himself slide off his desk, dropping the bag of candies onto it, as he began to saunter in the aisles between his students’ bureaux.

 

“Both of Bat’s and Zoë’s definitions are right, although a bit incomplete. The textbook definition of a hero is the following. A hero is a person who is admired for having down something very brave or having achieved something great. Now, that person can be fictional or real. For example, fire fighters or soldiers are considered as every day heroes. Now,” Magnus stopped his pacing and dropped into an unoccupied seat, smiling when all heads turned to look at him, “Like Mr Velasquez mentioned earlier, heroes could also inspired from legends or myths – like those ‘ _guys in Greek Mythology._ Finally, we call ‘hero’ the main character of a story, the protagonist. That character can either be male or female.”

 

“And it’s based on those different elements that I’ve asked you to come up with a hero – whether it be a fictional or real person – for your presentations today,” Magnus finished as he leaned back in his chair, his arms and legs crossed,” Who’s up first?”

 

Once again, all seemed to try to ignore him and do their best no to attract his attention, much to his disappointment. Before he could even open his mouth to remind them, once more, that they would all be passing in front of him today, Magnus startled when a familiar blonde boy jumped out of his seat and turned to face him, his expression solemn. An expression so solemn that Magnus had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.

 

“I’d like to go first, if that’s alright with you Mr Bane.”

 

Clearing his throat, Magnus grabbed a stack of paper and pen from the counter behind him and gave Leo a little nod, readying himself to take notes.

 

“By all means, Mr Lightwood. The floor is yours.”

 

He couldn’t help a small chuckle when Leo returned the nod, his expression unwavering, before taking his notebook and walking to the small podium installed by his desk. A wide grin on his face, Magnus examined the little boy’s outfit. Unlike other boys, he wasn’t dressed as famous comic books characters but was wearing a simple three-piece suit. Well, simple was putting it lightly. He knew of the boy’s family and didn’t doubt that they would have the suit tailored especially for the occasion. Still, Leo didn’t seem arrogant nor did he look like a bad copy of Draco Malfoy as he adjusted his neatly knotted bow tie. His shoulders were thrown back, his usually messy hair combed and his walk emaned power and pride. While he looked like a serious and distinguish young man, Leo’s mischievous and familiar hazel gaze gave away his childish nature.

 

He sat up in his chair when Leo looked back at him, an eyebrow cocked as if asking for permission. Schooling his features, Magnus clicked his pen and nodded.

 

“Whenever you’re ready, Leo,” he announced before turning to the rest of the class; “Alright, I want the rest of you to listen carefully to his presentation and then at the very end, we’ll have a small debate.”

 

Focusing his attention back onto Leo, he gave an encouraging smile, widening it when he noticed him letting out a long breath and muttering, what he guessed were words of encouragement, to himself. After another clear of throat, Leo looked back up, his gaze racking through the classroom.

 

“Today, ladies and gentleman, I’ll talk about Alexander Gideon Lightwood. More commonly known as simple Alec. Also, more commonly known as my father,” Leo announced, the ghost of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, earning a snort from Magnus, “The fact that I’ve chosen to talk about my father when asked to choose a hero might seem slightly biased, but I’ll ask you to keep your objections until the end of my advocacy.”

 

Magnus couldn’t help but laugh at that, turning it into a cough and hiding his grin behind a closed fist when some turned to look at him, frowning. He rubbed the back of his neck and focused onto the young boy at the front of the room, the latter collecting his notes as well as his thoughts. Watching Leo, he could see every inch of his father in him: in the way his fingers rubbed together when stressed or forming in argument, that slightly-but-not-quite-there smirk and those bright, smart hazel eyes. The use of words such as ‘biased’ and ‘advocacy’ and the lack of Leo’s hesitance didn’t fall onto deaf ears. Magnus wondered how long him and his father had spent on preparing it. He, then, remembered the older blonde man who dropped him off and found himself wondering if Alexander was even aware of the entire ordeal.

 

“Born on September 21st o f the year 1983, in New York City, Alexander was destined for greatness since the very beginning. It starts with his name, who literally means _Protector/Defender of Men_ and continues with his natural kindness. Since a very young age, he has always been adamant about defending those who can’t defend themselves,” Leo continued, lifting his gaze every couple of seconds to look at him, as if to seek approval. Magnus remained impassive, “This strong of justice led him to pursue a career in law, like his parents before him. The fact that his own parents – my grandparents – went down a similar path before him adds further proof that it was meant to be.”

 

“Today, Alec Lightwood fights injustice in the name of the law as a lawyer or more precisely, a mediator. I’ll conclude with that final thought : while he doesn’t wear a cape or colourful tights,” Leo paused, that shadow of a smirk reappearing on his face at the quiet laughter of his fellow students, “the work he does is quite admirable and nothing short of heroic in my, and others’, eyes.”

 

Magnus nodded when Leo closed his notebook with a final thud, quickly scribbling notes before he cleared his throat.

 

“Now that Mr Lightwood was finished presenting his case, do you have questions or remarks to make?” Magnus’ gaze racked through students and their raised hand before designating one, “Yes, Mr Velac?”

 

“I don’t see how lawyers are heroes, though. My parents are always telling me about how lawyers are sharks and will stop at nothing to do what they want,” the small brown haired argued, adjusting the pirate eye-patch over his face.

 

Magnus hummed, observing as many other students echoed his thought with nods and agreeing shouts. Turning back to where Leo was standing, he noticed the latter’s clenched jaw and tightened fists. His head tilted to the side, he loudly cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair.

 

“What do you answer to that, Counsellor Lightwood?”

 

Leo gave a small shrug, his previous confidence wavering as he fidgeted with the notes in front of him.

 

“Jon isn’t completely wrong,” he started, a frown on his face and his head bent down. Letting out a breath, he lifted his head back up and cocked it to the side, “But again, he isn’t completely right either.”

 

“How so?” Magnus pressed, smiling as he noticed the quirk of his lips.

 

“Well, some lawyers can be corrupted and sometimes, go above, the law to get what they want, no matter. Others aren’t and respect the law and have for only purpose the wellbeing of their clients. I believe my father is the latter. You see,” he leaned over the counter as he continued his explanation, “It’s like superheroes: some will use their powers for good while others will use them for bad and become super villains. Then again, maybe I’m not being objective since I’m talking about my father and to be honest, he’s a pretty great dad,” Leo finished, his grin wide and genuine.

 

Magnus couldn’t help but return the grin before he turned back to Jon, an eyebrow cocked in question.

 

“Does this answer satisfy, Mr Velac?” After getting a positive nod in response, Magnus turned back to the entire classroom, waiting for another hand to raise. When none did, he sighed, “Very well, then if there’s no other questions about Mr Lightwood’s presentation, I guess we’ll move on to the next one. Thank you very much, Leo. You can go back to your seat.

 

Leo nodded and got down from the small podium, his ears reddening and his smile bashful as the room broke into applause, led by the boy’s close group of friends. Magnus waited for the cheering to stop, quickly rereading while doing so, before he got up from his chair and walked to the back of the room.

 

“Alright, I’ll talk to you in person about your grades in detail later, but for now, we’ll focus on the presentations. All I can say is, that was a very good first presentation and that if the rest of them are as great as this, I’ll be delighted,” Magnus grinned, leaning against the wall as he clapped his hands, “Mr Velasquez: you’re up.”

 

* * *

 

 

Alec caught the rolled ball of paper before it could collide with his face before mindlessly throwing it back at Raj, smirking when he heard his groan of disgust. He stiffened a cry of pain when he felt Aline’s feet collide against his leg, turning around in his chair to glare at her. She cocked an eyebrow in response, her expression deadpan as she loudly popped her chewing gum in defiance before quickly hiding it in her mouth. Out of the four of them, John seemed to be the only paying attention to the meeting currently taking place. Though, judging by the small smirk on his face, he wasn’t completely oblivious to their antics. Rolling his neck, Alec let out a sigh and focused his attention onto the front of the room, where his mother was currently drawling about the mock – dreaded – trial’s details. Shutting down the urge to slouch in his chair and groan out loud, he tuned back into the conference, doing his best to ignore Raj’s constant kicking while twirling a pen between his fingers. Pen that was he was supposed to use to take notes about a trial he had no interest in taking part in.

 

“Now, we’ll have two legal teams, each of which will count seven associates and will be led by two seniors partners,” Maryse explained, pacing the length of the room as she talked, “Those two will, in some way, be the captains of their team. If you happen to be named captains, you’ll have to agree on fourteen associates, fourteen from which Raj will select the final seven-”

 

Frowning, Alec threw Raj a look over his shoulder, an eyebrow cocked. Not a simple look, a look that conveyed that betrayal and annoyance because he had been forced into this under the pretence that both John _and_ Raj would be participating. Only Raj seemed to have find a loophole – namely the fact that he worked closely with the associates on a daily basis - and hadn’t care to inform him about it. Catching his eye, Raj grinned back at him and waggled his eyebrows, giving another kick to his chair.

With a light scoff, Alec turned back around and leaned back in his chair, a leg crossed over the other. He widened his eyes when his gaze locked with John, the latter responding with a helpless shrug and amused smile. His jaw clenched, Alec rolled his eyes. He didn’t have any friends. _None._ They were all assholes.

 

His phone buzzing in his pocket provided him the perfect distraction. After making sure his mother was too busy to pay attention to him, Alec discreetly got the device out, frowning as he noticed Isabelle had sent him a mail earlier this morning. His frown deepened when he read the email’s subject – _Like father, like son._ Curiosity and slight amusement taking over his confusion, Alec tilted his head to the side and clicked on it, the message box empty except for two pieces joined. His eyes widened when he opened the first one: it was a picture of himself; one he didn’t knew even existed. He recognized his wedding suit, though. He was standing in their parents’ garden, a hand shoved in his pocket and the other rubbing the back of his neck, untied bowtie hanging loosely around his neck and messy black hair free off any of the gel he had been earlier that day. He had gotten rid of his jacket and had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. But it wasn’t his outfit that had caught Alec’s attention. It was his crooked smile, his wide and hazel eyes shining with mirth, unaware of the camera’s presence. It was the unguarded and genuine expression of happiness. Alec found himself grinning back at his phone, entranced by it. While the whole wedding ordeal hadn’t been completely approved by either party concerned, some good things had come out of it.

 

Shaking himself out of his trance, Alec cleared his throat and scrolled to the side and was, once again, taken aback. Staring back at him were Leo’s familiar eyes, the latter wearing a suit similar to his and matching the pose he had taken earlier. He supposed Isabelle had been the one forcing him pose for her. Where his smile had been almost indiscernible, Leo’s grin was wide and unlike him, the little boy seemed to be completely aware of the objective pointed on him. Swallowing his laughter, Alec saved both pictures before shooting Isabelle a quick text.

 

**_What’s with the suit?_ **

After putting his phone on _‘silence’_ mode, he dropped it on the table and downed the rest of his cold coffee, pretending to be paying attention to whatever John was talking – because, apparently _, he_ was the one talking right now. Alec even went through the trouble of taking notes every now and then – not that it made any sense, but still. He noticed the screen of his phone lighting up from the corner of his eye and tilted his head to the side, trying to make out the words of Isabelle’s texts.

_ From _ _: Iz’_

_1: 05 PM._

**L had this thing at school. They had to dress up as a hero for their present. Guess whom your son chose? Daddy Dearest. His Papa** **xx**

_ From _ _: Iz’_

_1: 06 PM._

**I’m cry! That just too cute :’)**

Alec rolled his eyes at that, quickly tapping a reply with two fingers.

 

**_I’m the one who’ll cry if you don’t stop start learning how write full and grammatically correct sentences. And cut the use of emoji too._ **

****

From _: Iz’_

_1:09 PM_

****

**Sure, Jan** **:D :D**

**_I’ll block you._ **

****

Alec looked up at a loud clear of throat by his side, his ears reddening when finding out that all eyes were on him. Aline didn’t bother to hide her grin while John was covering his mouth with a fist, faking annoyance at his lack of attention. Raj, for some reasons, had conveniently stopped kicking his chair and avoided his eyes when Alec turned to look at him. He startled when hearing another loud clear of threat. A loud, _familiar,_ clear of throat. Inwardly swearing, Alec slowly swirled around and found himself face-to-face with his mother, the latter perfectly poised and – falsely – calm. Maryse shot him a closed-lipped smile and handed him a stack of folders.

 

“If you could take one and then pass those folders, so everyone can have one, that would be great,” she said, her hands folded in front of her, “Oh and dear, if you have an urgent call to make, you’re free to step outside,” she added, her eyes wide opened in mock concern.

 

“Sure,” he retorted with an attempted smile, “And it’s fine. I can wait until the meeting’s done…?”

 

Maryse’s smile widened and Alec had to restrain himself from flinching back.

 

“If you’re sure, then. Now,” she turned on her heels, making her way back to the front, “As soon as each one of you receive a folder, I’ll invite you to flicker through it and-”

 

Letting out a sigh of relief, Alec took a folder off the pile and carelessly pushed the rest of it in Raj’s arms, the latter responding to the rude gesture with a kick in his chair. When he went to kick it again, Alec wrapped his fingers around his ankle and shoved him, swallowing a laugh when he almost lost his balance. Trying to give himself some semblance of serious, he flipped the file in front of him opened and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

**“** The rest of the partners and associates who won’t be part of any legal part will still participate to the trial, whether they play witnesses or a simple member of the audience. Assistants and other people who aren’t part of the firm are also allowed to participate. Now, if everyone understands the rules,” she sighed, gracefully bending her knees to retrieve a box off the ground before she straightened back up, smoothing her skirt “We’ll proceed to the sorting.”

 

Alec could almost hear giggle in anticipation – he knew it’s only his mind playing tricks on him, Maryse was above giggling or any manifestation of excitement - her gaze locking with his for a second before she moved to the other end of the table, handing the box to a young paralegal he only knew by name. He watched, holding his breath, as the box moved to John, the latter making a show of rummaging through it before taking a small piece of paper. After quickly reading it, he raised his hand and smiled.

 

“First half of the defence team,” John announced before stuffing the paper into his back pocket and passing the box to Aline.

 

After Aline picked up the role of their fictional victim’s older, Alec didn’t pay much attention to the sorting and role assigning, choosing to start reading the case instead and circling elements he thought crucial to the affaire. He was vaguely aware of the opposition’s two halves and took the time to appraise them before going back to his reading. It couldn’t have been more than a minute before he felt Raj tap his shoulder with the box. Rolling his eyes at the latter’s eagerness – surely mirrored by others – Alec snatched it out of his hands and, closing his eyes and hoping for him to be a simple member of the jury while racking through it. Cracking an eye opened when his fingers enclosed around a piece of paper, Alec slowly took his fingers out of the box, as if he was tending to a ticking bomb instead of a old box filled with papers. `

 

_Defence side/team_

 

Alec restrained a groan and pushed the box away with a sigh. He looked up to his mother, the latter leaning against the table with her arms crossed as she patiently – only in appearance – waited for him to announce his new title. Clearing his throat, his gaze moved from Maryse to John, the other man cocking an eyebrow when meeting his eyes. As if asking for a confirmation. Plastering a smile on his face, he mimicked John’s previous gesture and raised the hand holding the paper in the air.

 

“Looks like we’re going to be partners on this, Monteverde,” Alec sighed, balling the paper in his hand before throwing at John. He scoffed when the latter effortlessly caught it, mouthing ‘ _hell yeah’_ after he had uncoiled it and read what was written on it. With a satisfied hum, Maryse pushed herself off the table and went back to the front, starting to gather her stuff and readying herself to leave the room.

 

“The mock trial will take place in a month. Raj, I’ll let you with the task to inform the associates,” As if on cue, Raj nodded and jumped out of his chair, quickly gathering his stack of folders before getting out of the conference room, “As for the rest of you, I’ll leave you the time to get acquainted with your case. Robert and I are at your disposition if you have questions. Thank you so much for your attention, I’ll let you go back to your busy schedules.”

 

Blowing out a breath, Alec stood up and slowly put his things together as the room emptied, leaving him and his mother behind. He took a chance and peeked up to the front of the room where Maryse was sipping on a bottle of water. Alec didn’t have the time to pretend to be busy when her gaze locked with his, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth as she made her way to him, her long ponytail swinging behind her back.

 

“You know,” she started after swallowing the water in her mouth, “Despite your reluctance and utter dislike of this trial, I’m betting on you to win it. So pay attention to the meeting, wear your best smile and _don’t_ make a fool of yourself.”

 

Alec blinked at her when she bopped his nose with a finger, her smile both amused and menacing. His heads tilted to the side, he narrowed her eyes at her and leaned forward, causing Maryse to take a couple of steps back, slightly taken aback.

 

“You _literally_ bet on me, didn’t you,” Alec stated, rolling his eyes when hers widened in mock innocence, “Who’s the other gambler?”

 

“ **That** doesn’t matter,” she dismissed, wrapping an arm around his and leading him out, “What _does_ matter is you working your ass off and winning this case to prove that person wrong.”

 

Shaking his head, Alec let out a scoff and rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand before scratching the growing scruff on his chin. Giving his arm a small squeeze, she hissed herself on her toes and kissed his cheek before letting go of him and sauntering off toward the elevators.

 

“I better be getting at least half of your winnings,” he called as she disappeared behind the elevator’s doors.

With a long, loud sigh, Alec stuck his folders and notebook under his arm before reaching into the inside of his jacket and taking out his phone. Quickly turning on the device, Alec immediately went to the ‘message’ option and typed a simple five word text.

 

**_Did you bet against me?_ **

**__ **

From:  _Dad_

_1:19 PM_

**__ **

**I’ve absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about… How’s that mock trial coming along, by the way? Excited?**

Without bother to answer, Alec turned his phone back off and shoved it in his pocket with a groan. Not only didn’t he have any friends, but also his parents had suddenly vanished from existence. It was insane how powerful a simple text could be.

 

* * *

 

Stretching his arms over his head, Luke let out a satisfied groan when he felt his shoulder pop, ignoring Will’s exaggerated gag as he focused back onto his computer. One should’ve warned him about the massive paperwork that becoming a police officer would involve. He would’ve probably thought about it twice. Luke would’ve even considered another career - like becoming a librarian or something. Well, he should consider himself lucky that they were in the 21st century and that most of their work was computerized. While he was happy with the career he had and the position he held, paperwork was still a bitch. Looking at his partner’s cubicle, Luke frowned when he noticed Will staring intently at their Captain’s closed office.

 

“What _the hell_ are you doing?”

 

“Trying to send a telepathic message to the Boss, hoping he’ll come out of there with a case for us so we don’t have to do none of that shit,” Will muttered, his narrowed eyes fixated on the door.

 

With an eye roll, Luke tore a piece of paper off his notepad, crumbled it into a ball and chunked it at the younger man’s head, smirking when it hit him in the forehead. He easily dodged the pen Will messily threw in retaliation, the latter’s gaze still stuck onto the door.

 

“You do realize than a new case equals more paperwork later, right?”

 

“I really don’t give a shit right now. We’ve been here for the last _fiv_ e hours and I’m looking for a reason for me to procrastinate without feeling bad about it,” Will countered, leaning back in his chair and playing with the ball of paper, “I’m so bored right now, I’m almost ready to kill someone,”

 

Scoffing, Luke turned back to his computer and swallowed the groan of frustration that was climbing up his throat. Letting out a breath though his neck, he pulled the keypad closer to him as he lazily leaned back into his chair, mindlessly typing onto it. Every couple of second, his gaze would dart up to the ticking clock hanging from the wall and he would sigh before turning back to his case. Will had, eventually, stopped trying to develop telepathic powers and was working hard on a card castle. Allowing a yawn to escape his lips, his eyes went up to the clock before falling back onto his partner. Luke needed caffeine and Will definitely needed to stretch his legs, to do with himself. As he opened his mouth to voice his suggestion, Alaric appeared on this side, knocking against his desk as if it were a door before jumping on it, a frown on his face as he noticed Will’s newfound occupation.

 

“Hard at work, I see,” he deadpanned, the corner of his mouth twitching up.

 

“Always, Rodriguez,” Luke nodded, leaning back and crossing his arms against his chest, “What’s up?”

 

 _“Oh my god_ , please tell me you have a case for us,” Will intervened, leaving his castle crumble after noticing Alaric’s presence,” Please, please, please.”

 

“Damn,” Alaric cocked an eyebrow at him, “You’re certainly overly eager for us to have find a dead body.”

 

Jumping out of his chair with a groan, Will dismissed his remark with an impatient wave of hand. Alaric snorted and returned back to Luke, the latter rolling his eyes in response. Letting out a sigh, he propped both of his feet onto his desk and tilted his head to the side.

 

“He does have a point, though. Do you have something for us?”

**“** As a matter of fact, I do,” Alaric nodded, smirking at Will, “It’s not a dead body, though.”

 

The latter faked a laugh before he gave the older man the finger, earning himself a slap on the arm from Luke. Glaring at him, Will pushed his feet off the desk and leaned against it. Alaric quickly darted to his cubicle, fetching a folder off his desk before he made his way back to them, raising the file above his head like a price.

 

“You know that guy you wanted me to keep tabs on? I’ve just got an update about his whereabouts;” he explained after Luke gave him a nod in confirmation, his brow furrowed, “And I don’t think you’re going to like it. Either of you.”

 

His frown deepening, he took the file Alaric was handing him and flipped it open, barely acknowledging Will as the latter pushed himself off his desk and went to stand behind him to read the file’s contents. Will’s sharp intake of breath echoed with his as he stared back at an old, yellowing mug shot.

**“** Shit,” Will breathed out, his hands clenching into fists.

 

“You took the word right out of my mouth, Herondale,” Luke countered.

 

* * *

 

**“** Bye, Mr Bane!”

 

Magnus looked up from the piles of copies he was currently correcting at the shout, smiling softly when he noticed Zoe standing at the threshold, her cat ears askew and her longue black tail tugged into the back pocket of her pants. Clicking his pen a couple of times, he arranged the stack of paper and let out a sigh.

 

“See you tomorrow, Miss Kyle,” he returned with a wink.

 

 

Giggling, she gave him a wave before hurrying out of the classroom and down the hallways. He snorted at the sound of hundred of feet running to catch the bus. He could only imagine the chaos that reined in his hallways and decided that it would be wise for him to stay in the room for a couple more minutes. Picking back his pen, Magnus returned to his correcting, frowning occasionally at the few mistakes or snickering at some of the responses given. Eventually, the commotion outside his classroom quieted and, from what he could see from his window, the schoolyard was almost empty of children and yellow buses.

 

Letting out a loud yawn, Magnus pushed back his chair and began to gather his stuff, inwardly reviewing the things he had to do when getting home. Lost in his thoughts, he startled when hearing someone knocked on his door. Expecting to see a follow teacher or parent when he looked up, Magnus was taken aback to see Luke standing in his door, badge and gun on display.

 

“I thought you’d be home by now,” Luke said, his head tilted to the side as he walked into the room.

 

“I’m heading out right now,” Magnus retorted, returning to his tidying, “I just had some things to work on before. Let’s be honest, I’m much more efficient here without any distractions or temptations,” he added, waggling his eyebrows.

 

Luke let out a small chuckle, his smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Frowning, Magnus crossed his arms over his chest and rounded his desk, leaning back against it as he observed the detective, his eyes narrowed.

 

“Are you alright? You seem a bit off,” Magnus’ eyes widened in fear when one thought crossed his mind, “Oh god, did something happen to Jocelyn? Clary? Si-”

“No, no, none of that. They’re all fine,” Luke was quick to reassure, putting an end to his morbid train of thought, before letting out a breath, “I just- I got something to tell you. And I think you should sit down for it.”

 

 _Oh-uh._ Nothing, in the history of mankind, ever good has been known to follow those words. Or maybe he was a pessimistic drama queen, Luke would be the exception to the rule and something good would come out of this conversation. When Magnus noticed the barely veiled panic in Luke’s brown gaze, he decided that he wasn’t that much pessimistic drama queen. Nothing, in the history of mankind ever good has been known to follow those words. And Magnus, knowing his luck, won’t be the exception.

 

Ignoring the lump forming in his throat, Magnus clenched his jaw and raised his head. Rolling his eyes at his defiance, Luke walked to the front of the class and leaned onto the student desk facing him. Letting out a second, long breath, he rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat and crossing his arms, his gaze locked with Magnus’.

 

“It’s Asmodeus,” Luke started, his voice a strange mix of quiet and loud – trembling, but calm, “He’s getting out of prison in two weeks. They’re letting him out earlier because of good behaviour.”

 

Luke kept speaking but Magnus had stopped listening. He had stopped hearing every word that had left Luke’s mouth. He was pretty sure he had stopped breathing.

 

_He’s getting out of prison._

 

It was insane how powerful a simple five-word sentence could be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this !! Hopefully, it was up to your expectations. Please, don't forget to leave a comment and kudos : it'll make me so so happy !!
> 
> You can also come and follow me on tumblr, @oreosmunroe : it's pretty great if i do say so myself. we'll become best friends and everything ! 
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> Kadi.


	10. numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmodeus’ name had been said once and everyone had lost their goddamn minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h'lo, it's been a while 
> 
> this chapter was almost entirely written when my laptop decided to give in and stop working - which made me die a little bit inside and cry a lot, because urgh. anyway, i had to rewrite it, which took an entire year because i took a break from writing, debated to abandon this story and had to focus on my studies.
> 
> this chapter - and the ones that'll follow - only exists because of you and your comments and nice asks. basically, it only exists because of your love for this story and i love you for it. 
> 
> alright, i'm done rambling. i'll hope you like it !

 

“Is this really necessary?”

 

 

None of the people present in the classroom answered and Magnus clenched his jaw in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest. From the corner of his eye, he could see Jocelyn on his desk with her legs crossed, swinging from side to side. Will was standing on a table, a pair of pincers in his mouth as he detangled wires and worked on installing a camera behind the video projector. Crouched on the floor, Luke replaced the aeration grid, screwing it back into the wall and hiding a second camera from view. Asmodeus’ name had been said once and everyone had lost their goddamn minds.

 

Simon and Clary had been stuck to his sides ever since the news had dropped, much to Magnus’ annoyance. Maia had offered to let him stay at her place for the time being, Raphael had the decency to look worried about him and Luke had insisted he’d move into a safe house and have an officer shadowing him whenever he’d go. Thank God for Jocelyn, who had shut down her husband’s dramatic – according to Magnus, at least – requests and had instructed everyone to give him room to breathe. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to stop Luke from installing surveillance cameras in his classroom and flat. Magnus was startled out of his thoughts when Will jumped down from the table, twirling a screwdriver between his fingers.

 

 

“Y’know, we all have somewhere we’d rather be at the moment,” Will pointed the screwdriver to his chest, “I, for one, would rather be sleeping late on my only day off. But yet, here I am, at 6 in the fucking morning, making sure that your crazy bedazzled ass won’t get murdered.”

 

 

Luke glared at him, causing Will to raise both of his hands. Magnus rolled his eyes and hissed himself onto his desk, next to Jocelyn. Crossing his legs, he placed both of his hands on his knee.

 

 

“All I’m saying is don’t think that’s a bit much? Asmodeus isn’t an imbecile. And I have a restraining order against him.”

 

“That restraining order will soon be declared null and void,” Luke retorted, placing both of his hands of his waist, “And getting a new one will take time. Look,” he held out a hand when Magnus went to protest, “I know that it seemed like I’m overreacting but there’s a reason the guy wasn’t allowed to approach you before being sent to prison. So, just shut up and allow me to assure your security, a’right?”

 

 

Closing his mouth, Magnus cleared his throat and gave a small nod. Luke returned the nod with a small smile before he went to stand next to Will, the latter frowning down at a tablet, checking to see if every camera worked. Magnus took the time to observe Luke, the man who had stepped into his life and agreed to take care of him when no one else would. He looked tired, as if this case occupied his thought at every waking moment. It probably did. He looked older. He looked tense, as if he had chosen to carry this burden on his shoulders instead of Magnus. He probably had. Magnus remembered when Luke had stepped into his classroom, his expression blank but his body tense. He remembered how his father’s name echoing around when it had left Luke’s mouth. He remembered Luke’s expectant look, his brow knit in concern as he had expected for Magnus to fall apart, freak out. It was to be expected, after all. It had just been announced that the man that haunted his nightmares had been released into the world – on good behaviour, Luke had told him and Magnus had swallowed an incredulous laugh at the statement - free to do whatever he wanted. He should have freak out.

Magnus hadn’t freaked out.

 

He had kept calm and continued to put his stuff away, practically dragging Luke out of his classroom as he had locked it and walked down the hall to the parking lot, like he would every day. Luke had asked him if he was alright and Magnus had turned to him with a perfect grin plastered on his face and an enthusiastic  _ “Marvellous!” _ leaving his mouth. Luke’s frown had deepened at that and Magnus had barely registered that it probably wasn’t an appropriate answer to give. Luke had kept quiet, though, until they had reached the parking lot. He had insisted Magnus come stay the night instead of returning to his empty apartment. He had accepted without a second thought and they had fallen silence once again, Luke’s patrol car following Magnus’ to his and Jocelyn’s cottage.

 

Magnus hadn’t freaked out yet. He was expected to freak out. He should have freaked out. He was a ticking bomb and everyone around him was walking around eggshells, awaiting his dreaded explosion. His head snapped to the side when Jocelyn wrapped an arm around his, interrupting his train of thoughts. Sighing, he scratched one eyebrow with a ringed finger.

 

 

 

“And what are we supposed to tell people when they asked about the cameras?”

 

“Tell them the kids have been selected to star in a reality show,” Will retorted, not taking his eyes off the device in his hands. Luke slapped the back of his head.

 

Her lips pur sed, Jocelyn shook her head at the two and turned to him. “Regular procedure, every school is supposed to be equipped with a working security system.”

 

“Right,” Magnus muttered, cocking an eyebrow, “You’ve really thought everything through.”

 

Jocelyn squeezed his arm in response. Looking up, he caught Will wiggling his eyebrows at him and snorted. Will’s mirth vanished when Luke leaned in and whispered something in is ear before patting his shoulder. Will nodded at him and worked on putting away wires and tools. A knock caused every head to turn toward the door, where Clary stood at the threshold, holding a bag of pastries in one hand and a carrier of steaming Styrofoam cups in the other, her satchel bag sliding off her shoulder.

 

 

“What up, people. I’ve come in carrying goods. Courtesy of Maia and Simon.”

 

 

Magnus jumped off his desk and went to rescue Clary, taking drinks and food out of her hands. She blew out a sigh of relief and readjusted the strap of her bag, walking into the room. Putting on his jacket, Will put both tool box and tablet into his backpack before shrugging it on. He rubbed his hands together and, smirking, patted Clary’s head.

 

 

“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Carrot Top,” his smirk widened when she swatted his hand away. He pinched her side and avoided her kick to the shin, taking a glazed donut out of the paper bag, “Not that I don’t like you people, but there are two people that I like way better back waiting for me back home, so…”

 

Will took a Styrofoam mug of coffee and placed his donut in his mouth, giving them a two-fingered salute before walking out of the room.

 

Clary followed, only stopping at the threshold before she placed both hands around her mouth and shouted, “Don’t forget we’re all supposed to meet at Pandemonium at 9!”

 

“Maybe!” Will called back.

 

 

She scoffed and re-entered the classroom, grabbing a muffin out of the paper bag and breaking a piece of it. Letting her bag fall to the floor, she took Magnus’ previous place and looked up to her father.

 

 

“Are you sticking around?”

 

“I gotta go,” Luke retorted, his tone apologetic, “But,” he grabbed a coffee off the tray and a cookie from the pastry bag, “thank you for breakfast, baby.”

 

 

He pecked Clary’s forehead and exchanged a short goodbye kiss with Jocelyn before moving toward the door. Without stopping, he gestured for Magnus to follow him out. Swallowing a groan, Magnus took his tea and followed Luke into the hallway.  He returned the nods and smiles he got from teachers passing him by, occasionally sipping his drink as he silently walked alongside Luke. Pushing the doors leading to the front of the school building and parking lot, Luke held it open for Magnus, the latter shooting him a small smile in thanks. Magnus wrapped both of his hands around the cup as a gust of wind blew away dead leaves and left him trembling.

 

 

“You okay?”

 

Magnus looked at Luke as they weaved their way through the parking lot. “Fine,” he sighed, the response automatically leaving his mouth, “A bit cold. And tired of hearing the same question.”

 

 

Luke stopped and cocked an eyebrow at him. Magnus cleared his throat and focused on his drink, tapping his fingers against it. He heard Luke sigh before the latter reached into his back pocket, getting his car keys out of it.

 

 

“Y’know, you’re allowed to not be fine.”

 

“Yes, I am aware. Thank you very much,” he shot him a mirthless smile, “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry.”

 

“And if I don’t, who’s going to?” Luke snapped, grimacing when seeing Magnus’ wide eyes, “Sorry, I just-” he rubbed his face, “I can see that you’re not okay, Magnus. And it’s killing me, cause there’s nothing I can do about it.”

 

“What do you want me to do about it?” He protested, his throat suddenly tight, “Cry about it? Scream?

 

“Yes! Everything’s better than bottling your feeling up. Get angry, scream, hit something!”  Luke lightly punched his shoulder, earning a small smile from Magnus.

 

 

Luke threw his keys up and caught them, unlocking his car. He put the coffee on the roof of his car and opened the driver’s door, grabbing his leather jacket from the back seat. Magnus grabbed the drink from the roof as Luke shrugged in his jacket and took his place behind the wheel.  

 

 

“Look,” Luke took his coffee out of Magnus’ hands, “Meet me at the gym after school lets out. I won’t ask you if you’re okay or hover; we’ll work out our frustration by hitting stuff.”

 

Magnus knew better than to think that he could refuse the offer. Offer that was more of a statement. “Sure.”

 

 

He closed the door and waved at Luke as the latter drove away. Downing the rest of his drink, Magnus stuffed a hand in his pocket and plastered a smile on his face as students and parents began to come in. Magnus hadn’t freaked out yet. Magnus wouldn’t freak out.

 

* * *

 

Aline had been staring at her computer screen for the last half hour and her head hurt. Still, she didn't blink nor sit back. Her eyes were dry, and yet she didn't blink. She did look up at the elevator doors opening, smiling absently when seeing Raj step out of the lift and walk toward his office, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. The latter caught her gaze and raised a hand in greeting, a small smile on his face. She let herself sigh when he disappeared into the office, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her head. Alec had been stuck in meetings since he had arrived and unlike his, Aline’s presence hadn't been mandatory. Which was why Aline had spent her morning scrolling the Internet, soaking every piece of information she could about adoption formalities.

 

Even though Helen hadn't brought up the subject again, her words hadn't left Aline's mind. She had replayed Alec's conversation, thinking over each of his words and arguments. Though she knew that the information she'd get from Helen would be more accurate that anything she'd read on the Internet, Aline hadn't brought the facts that she was looking into it. She wasn't even sure why she was looking into it - could be simple curiosity, could be interest, could be boredom - and she didn't want to get Helen's hopes up for no reason. She frowned when coming upon a particular site, going into the contacts. Aline picked her phone off her desk, leaning back into her chair as she dialled the number, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth. Tapping her fingernails against her arm as she waited, she considered hanging up and closed all of the tabs on her screen. Her finger was hovering over the end button when she heard someone pick up on the other end.

  
  


 

" _ Hello? _ "

 

She straightened in her chair, crossing her legs, "Good morning, I was wondering if I could talk to

 

_ “Yes, this is she. To whom am I speaking to? " _

 

"Hi, this is Aline Penhallow-Blackthorn, I work for the Institute and I was wondering if you had time for him to ask a few questions," Aline reached inside the drawer, taking a notepad and pen out of it.

 

" _ Of course. Would you need help on a particular case?" _

 

"Well, actually, it's more of a personal matter," Aline clicked her pen, tapping it against the notepad, "My wife and I are looking into adopting and I was curious about the entire process."

  
  


"Oh, well-"

  
  


 

Aline found herself relaxing throughout the phone call, jotting down notes and shooting whatever question that Google Answers hadn't been able to resolve. Her grip around her pen tightened as she was asked about hers and Helen's relationship and found herself breathing out in relief when finding her when being told that her homosexuality wouldn't have an impact on the entire process. She barely looked up from her notes when hearing the elevator doors open. Seeing the hour, Aline expected Alec to step out and walk to his office, getting ready to leave for lunch. Imagine her confusion when a loud clear of throat forced her to look and see a self-assured guy standing in front of her desk, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His black hair was neatly combed back, his three-piece suit was wrinkled- free and his grin was too bright, too big. He looked so excited Aline would have laughed if she wasn’t currently on the phone. She cocked an eyebrow at him which, for some reason, he took as an authorization to start speaking.

  
  
  


 

"Good morning Ms Penhallow, I'm-"

  
  
  
  


Smothering a laugh, Aline held a finger to her mouth before she pushed  the chair in front of her desk with a foot, gesturing for him to sit down. She swung her chair from him and cleared her throat, tilting her head back.

  
  
  
  


"No, as of right now, I haven't got any more questions. You've been extremely helpful, thank you very much. Have a nice rest of your day."

  
  
  
  


From the corner of her eye, Aline could see the associate perk up in his seat as she hung up her phone. With a sigh, she snapped her notepad shut and turned back around to face him, an overly sweet smile plastered on her face.

  
  
  


"What can I help you with?"

  
  
  


"As I was trying to say earlier, Ms Penhallow-"

  
  


"It's  _ Mrs _ . and Penhallow-Blackthorn, actually," Aline interrupted once again, her smile widening at the sight of his obvious irritation. She tilted her head to the side, "Whatever, please continue."

  
  


"I was interested in joining Mr Lightwood's legal team for the mock trial and wondered if I'd be able to have an one-on-one meeting with him later on."

  
  
  


 

Aline swallowed a snort. She could practically hear Alec groan at the mention of this damn mock trial. Clearing her throat, she crossed her arms over her desk and didn't pretend to check through her planner before she adopted a fake apoplectic expression, lifting a shoulder.

  
  


"I'm afraid Mr Lightwood will be unavailable for the next couple of months, at the very least. As for the mock trial, he won't be meeting anyone personally. I'll be happy to give your file, though."

  
  
  
  


Aline didn't falter under his glare, his nostrils flaring in frustration and his jaw clenched. Her desk phone ringing broke the stare-off - stare-off that Aline was clearly winning - and did nothing but inflate his irritation. Biting the inside of her cheek, Aline held out a finger, her smile unwavering.

  
  


 

"Please, hold that thought. Alec Lightwood's office, Aline speaking. How can I help you?"

 

_ "Yes, hello, this is Mrs Garroway. We've spoken a few days ago?" _

 

"Yes, I remember," Aline frowned when she heard the familiar voice of Leo's school principal. Her phone buzzing at the corner of her office caught her attention, "Is Leo alright?"

 

_ "Actually, he started feeling nauseated and was complaining of headaches after this morning recess. He wasn't able to keep with classes and felt tired, so Mr Bane let him laid down. We tried to reach Mr Lightwood's cellphone, but he didn't answer any of them. Which is why I'm reaching out to you." _

  
  
  


Sticking the phone between her ear and shoulder, Aline grabbed her cell and frowned when seeing the multiple unread texts from Raj, Alec and John. All three saying the exact same thing, with a different wording : the meeting would last longer than they had thought and neither of them would be able to make it to lunch. Swallowing a curse, she ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed her tablet to go through her own schedule, slightly oblivious to the man in front of her. That was, until he straightened up in his chair and turned his attention onto Alec's unlocked office. He shot her a smile and she narrowed her eyes at him, unimpressed.

 

"I'm afraid that Mr Lightwood isn't going to be able to pick Leo from school," Aline scratched the top of her head, quickly scrolling through her contacts, "One of his uncles or aunt might be available, though-"

  
  


Looking up, she froze when noticing the empty chair in front of her. And the idiot walking toward the office. Clenching her jaw, she straightened in her chair and opened the text app on her phone, quickly shooting a text to Isabelle before stuffing the device into her back pocket.

  
  
  


"Can I put you on hold for a minute?"

  
  


Aline barely left her the time to answer before she shot out of her chair and stormed toward the office, planting herself in front of the office and holding up a hand to stop him. He froze, his eyes widening a bit when catching sight of her before he schooled his features into an expression of mock nonchalance.

  
  


"Take one more step toward this office and I'll break both of your kneecaps before you can utter the words 'assault' or 'lawsuit'."

 

"You can't threaten me," he protested, taking a step forward.

 

 

Aline held her ground, pushing him back - not forceful enough to make him fall, but enough for him to take her seriously. "Oh, but I just did, Pretty Boy. All it takes is for me to say one single word and you'll find yourself unemployed and unable to get hired by any New York's law firms."

  
  
  


Aline grinned, undeterred as he scowled at her. She took the folder out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest.

  
  


"You can show yourself out, Mr Kyle."

  
  
  
  


He opened his mouth and Aline cocked an eyebrow, as if daring him to argue. She ignored her phone buzzing in her back pocket, her grin widening when his mouth shut with a loud **_clang_ ** before he stormed off. Aline rolled her eyes at his turned back and made her way back to her desk, throwing the folder onto it before she took her phone out and read Isabelle's positive answer.

  
  
  


"Mrs Garroway? So sorry for the wait. Leo's aunt, Isabelle will stop to pick him up in a few. Thanks, you too."

  
  
  
  


Hanging up, Aline grabbed her set of keys and folder off her desk before making her way into Alec's office. The associates' applications had been ordered in three piles - chosen, to consider, to read later - and Aline felt like adding her own category, after her encounter : to throw a fire without taking a glance at it. With a sigh, she plopped down into the desk chair and  flickered through the folder, writing some commentary in the margins every now and then, before she dropped it in the  _ to-read later _ pile. She grabbed a stack of post-it and quickly scribbled something about Leo's situation, sticking on his computer screen.

  
  
  


"Yo!" Aline looked up to find Max standing in the door frame, his hair disheveled and his computer bag hanging from his shoulder, "You look way better than Alec behind that desk."

 

"Obviously," she snorted, leaning back in the chair and crossing her hands over her stomach, "Did you run straight from campus?"

 

"Yeah," Max walked in, running his fingers through his hair, "I've only got an one-hour break for lunch. Where _ is _ everyone?"

 

"Stuck in a meeting," Aline sighed, getting up from the chair, "I guess you'll have to settle for little ol' me."

 

Max smirked, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder, "My favourite. Hey, by the way, that guy warned me about the “raging  _ bitch” _ in Lightwood's office, at the elevators."

  
  
  


Aline froze at that, before she snapped out of her short trance and grabbed the folder. Under Max's curious eyes, she walked to the shredder and turned the device on, taking a sick pleasure in watching Jordan Kyle's pretentious face being shredded. She looked back up at Max, leaning against the machine with a smile, Max staring at her with wide eyes.

  
  
  


"And I guess you already know who I'm talking about," Max blinked before he clapped his hands, rubbing them together, "So, lunch?"

 

Her smile widened. "Let me lock up and get my stuff."

 

* * *

"Tell me again why I'm here," Jace said, following Isabelle as she made her way through the empty school halls and principal office.

  
  


 

She didn't have to turn around for him to know that she was probably rolling her eyes at him, annoyed by the repetitive question. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling her phone out of her back pocket and shooting a quick message before she slid it back into her pocket. Jace quickened his pace, nudging her side with his elbow when he had caught up with her. Isabelle glared at him and he smirked, cocking an eyebrow at her as he waited for her answer. Cue eye-roll coupled with a frustrated groan.

  
  
  


 

"Leo's sick, my car's still in the shop and I can't see myself taking the bus or subway with him while he's in this condition," Isabelle replied.

  
  


"Ever heard of taxis?" Jace retorted, both of his eyebrows up.

  
  


"You were not working and had nothing to do of importance today," Isabelle countered without missing a beat, "Why the hell would I waste money on a cab when I've got you at my disposal?"

  
  
  


Jace was the one rolling his eyes at that. He kept silence and turned around the corner when Isabelle told him so. Jace frowned when catching sight of a scowling kid in front of the closed office. Isabelle paid him no mind, walking past him to knock against the glass door while Jace stood to the side, leaning his shoulder against the wall with his arms crossed. The boy looked to be Leo's age, if not older. His nose looked swollen - Jace had taken enough hits to the face to recognize a broken nose - as well as the left side of his face. But that wasn't what caused Jace to freeze. No, it was the way he pulled the sleeves of his ill-fitted sweater, hiding his hands within them. It was the thumb-shaped bruises on his collarbone, hidden by the scarf he wore despite the warm weather.

As if feeling his eyes on him, he looked up at Jace and scowled before he sunk in his chair, adjusting the scarf around his neck. Jace barely had the time to open his mouth before the office door burst open, a redhead slipping out of the room. She smiled at the two siblings, her gaze moving from Isabelle and Jace to the scowling boy. Sighing, she leaned against the wall and put a hand on her hip.

  
  
  
  


"You're free to go, Mr Morgenstern," she handed him a slip of paper as the latter slowly getting up to his feet, picking his bag off the floor, "Now, I don't want to see in my office or hear your name, unless it's being praised by your teachers, for the next two weeks. Got it?"

  
  
  


He mumbled something as he brushed past Isabelle, disappearing in the distance. Morgenstern, Jace thought, his head tilted to the side. As in Jonathan Morgenstern. As in the boy who had been involved in a fight, fight resulting in bruises and a broken nose in Morgenstern's case. Jace exchanged a look with Isabelle, the latter returning it with a shrug of her shoulder before turning her attention to the principal, a hand held out in front of her. When noticing her curious gaze on him, Jace plastered a smile on his face.

  
  
  
  


"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs Garroway, which it would've been under better circumstances," Isabelle grimaced, shaking the older woman's hand, "I'm Isabelle and this is one of Leo's uncles, Jace."

  
  
  


Jace lifted a hand in greeting and Garroway nodded in response, a smile on her face. She stepped into her office, saying something to her secretary before walking back toward them, closing the door behind her.

  
  
  


"I'll have you sign a discharge form on your way out. I'll show you the way to Magnus' class."

  
  
  


She ran her fingers through her hair, making her way down the hallways and expecting for the both of them to follow. They did. Jace rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and stuffed them back in his pockets, quickening his pace so he stood next to the redhead instead of behind her. Isabelle threw him a look, rolling her eyes when he blatantly ignored her.

  
  
  
  


"Morgenstern," Jace spoke up, cocking an eyebrow when both Isabelle and Garroway turned to look, "That was the kid who Leo got a fight with, right?

"

"Yes," she sighed, "He's a troublemaker. Probably spend more time in front of my office than he does in class."

 

"How about his family life?" Jace pressed, ignoring Isabelle's look.

 

 

Garroway stopped in her tracks and Jace took the time to observe his surroundings. The previous walls covered with information boards and racked with lockers had been replaced by colourful walls, drawings plastered everywhere.

 

"His father's very strict, from what I've seen, at least," Garroway's voice snapped out of his contemplation. She frowned and tilted her head to the side, "He's also absent a lot, always on business trips every week. Think him picking fights is acting out?"

 

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I've worked with angry, prone-to-fight boys before. But it's not my place to say," Jace hastily added when noticing Isabelle's stare. Clearing his throat, he plastered a smile on his face and looked back at Garroway, "they're your kids."

  
  
  


Garroway hummed, narrowing her eyes at him before she returned his smile and turned back around, resuming her trek down the hallway. Isabelle punched his shoulder and ignored his wince of pain she passed by him, close on Garroway's heels. Rolling his shoulder, Jace let out a groan and followed both women, his strides long enough so he could get catch up with her. Garroway stopped in front of a closed classroom, pushing back her sleeves before knocking on the door. Jace leaned against the wall and nudged the inside of her knee with his, smirking when Isabelle threw him a glare over her shoulder. Much to Jace's relief, the door opened before Isabelle could retaliate with an elbow to his gut.

 

He perked up when noticing the head peeking out of the room and pushed himself off the wall, peeking over Isabelle's shoulder. Jace was able to see him better when he stepped out of the classroom and he couldn’t but do a double-take, slightly taken aback. Isabelle didn't even bother to hide her staring, her head tilted to the side as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. He was a couple of inches taller than Jace, almost a foot taller than Isabelle and his spiked black hair exaggerated his height. His green eyes had been lined with black liner and his arms were covered with leather bracelets. Isabelle's elbow colliding with his ribs snapped him out of his contemplation, to find all three looking at him. Obviously, he hadn't been as discreet as he had hoped in his staring. Clearing his throat, Jace ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

  
  
  


 

"Well Magnus, I'll leave these two with you," Garroway said, putting a hand on his arm.

 

"Don't worry, Joss," Magnus smirked, pushing back his sleeves, "We'll be fine."

  
  
  


 

The redhead rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips before she squeezed his arm and walked away. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he turned toward the two, raising an elegant eyebrow. Isabelle swiftly pushed her hair behind her shoulder and held out a hand, as if she were a noble expecting for some peasant to kneel in front of her and kiss her knuckles. Like he had ignored her previous looks, Isabelle ignored the bewildered look Jace sent her way.

  
  
  


 

"I'm Isabelle, Leo's aunt," and as if he were an after thought, she tilted toward him, "And this is my brother Jace."

 

"I gathered as much," Magnus retorted, his smirk widening as he brought Isabelle's hand to his lips, "it's very nice to meet the two of you. And to see that good looks apparently run in his family," he adds, letting his gaze roam on both of them.

  
  


Isabelle let out a surprised laugh while Jace returned Magnus' smirk, running his fingers through his hair. He didn't catch Isabelle's coy smirk before the latter turned back to Magnus, pointing a thumb to him.

 

 

"He's adopted."

 

"And yet,  I'm more attractive than all three of you," Jace countered, without missing a beat.

  
  
  


He waggled his eyebrows at her and Isabelle crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. Both of them turned toward Magnus when hearing a snort, the latter scratching his eyebrow with a ring, a small smile on his face. He frowned, his gaze moving to the closed classroom before he looked back at them and gestured to come closer. Magnus loudly cleared his throat as he opened the room.

  
  


"I don't know why I'm hearing voices considering you're supposed to be silently taking a test," he announced, a hush falling over the room as he stepped in.

  
  
  


Magnus made his way toward the back of the classroom, where he pushed past a curtain of beads, Jace and Isabelle close on his heels. Jace felt his heart ache at the sight of Leo, blearily glaring at the ground as he twitched on the couch he was lying on. Magnus crouched in front of the couch and the back of his hand on Leo's forehead, wincing in sympathy when the latter drew back with a groan. Feeling a hand on the small of his back, Jace looked back to find Isabelle's head resting on his shoulder. She pouted when meeting his eyes and Jace nodded in response. Magnus looked back at the two of them before gently shaking him.

  
  
  
  


"Hey Leo, look who's here," Magnus nodded toward the siblings.

  
  
  
  


Leo followed Magnus' gaze to the two, earning a wink from Jace and a wave from Isabelle. Jace watched as, letting out another groan, Leo pushed himself up in a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. Magnus stayed crouched by his side, a hand held out in front of him, as if he was readying himself to catch Leo if he were to fall to the side. As Isabelle grabbed his coat and backpack from his seat, Jace went to sit in front of him, his legs crossed.

  
  
  


"Hey little dude. Not looking so good."

Leo snorted, "Lies, I always look good," his eyes closed as he let out a loud sneeze, blocking it with his hand.

 

 

Jace snorted and he could hear Isabelle smother a laugh.

 

 

"And I can see where Leo got his charming personality," Magnus cocked an eyebrow at him.

  
  
  


Jace kept silent, holding his hands in front of him. He stood up as soon as Leo slipped into his, pulling Leo up with him. He let go of the younger boy when Isabelle came to stand next him, helping Leo into his coat and wrapping his scarf around his neck. She ran his fingers through his hair and dropped a kiss on the top of his head, wrapping an arm around him when he leaned against her. Magnus got back to his feet with a sigh, smiling down at the half-asleep boy.

  
  
  
  
  


"I hope to see you on Monday morning, Mr Lightwood," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

  
  
  
  


Leo hummed in response, nodding against Isabelle's stomach. He groaned when the latter started moving toward the door. Jace smiled and grabbed the boy under his arms, hissing him on his hip. Leo buried his face in the crook of his neck and Jace rested his cheek on his head, his hold around him loose. He shot a smile at Magnus over Leo's head before joining Isabelle by the door. He snorted at the sight of Isabelle, the latter carrying Leo's backpack over both of her shoulders. She cocked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged.

  
  
  
  


"Y'know," Jace licked his lips, stiffening a smirk when noticing Isabelle's narrowed eyes, "You could pass for a student with your size and that look."

  
  
  
  


He didn't noticed her hand lifting, but he felt the pain that followed her punch. Cursing through his teeth, Jace adjusted his hold around Leo and glared down at Isabelle. She returned the look before reaching inside her jacket and taking a chewing gum packet. Slipping one out of it, she unwrapped the gum and popped it in her mouth with a smile, earning an eye roll from Jace. She snickered, popping a bubble before taking her phone out of her back pocket. Jace frowned when he noticed that Isabelle had stopped in her tracks, scrolling through her phone with narrowed eyes, her gum sticking out the side of her mouth.

  
  
  


"You alright, Iz'?"

"Huh?" Isabelle looked up at him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a change of plans. I need to go to the hospital. Right now," she grimaced, "Sorry. Are you going to be okay with Leo?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Go," Jace nodded forward, "Do you need me to drop you there?"

"No, I'll take the bus," Isabelle hastily shrugged off Leo's backpack and kissed Jace's cheek, "Thank you, love you Leo!" She blew him a kiss before hurrying down the halls and toward the school doors

  
  
  


Jace watched her run with a sigh, picking the bag off the floor and shrugging it on. He adjusted his hold around Leo when the latter started shifting.

  
  
  
  


"Guess it's just you and me, bud, uh? Here's to hoping you don't throw up in my car," he paused in his tracks, his head tilted to the side as he thought, "Y'know what? Throw up in my car. Maybe your father will buy me a new one."

 

* * *

 

 

Simon weaved his way through the crowd of doctors, nurses and patients alike as he made his way to the nurse office, holding a tray of coffees high above his head. He blew out a sigh of relief when none of the to-go mugs toppled off, dozing him with hot liquid. He dropped it on the desk, mindful of the medical charts and files. Adjusting the Styrofoam cups, Simon shot a sheepish grin to the nurse standing in front of him, the latter seemingly unimpressed by his entire existence. He rested an arm on the station, his fingers drumming against the hard surface.

  
  


 

"Hey, Michelle. You look breathtaking today. Not that you don't always, but still those scrubs - are those new, by the way - fit you well."

 

She threw him a blank look, her gaze moving down to the tray of coffee, "Is one of those for me?"

 

"Of course!" Simon handed her one of the mugs, "As if I would dare walk in here without a gift to present you."

  
  
  


 

Michelle gave a non committal hum, hiding a small smile behind her drink as she took a small sip from the mug. She leaned against the station, nonchalantly going through a file in front her. Simon pursed his lips, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he waited for her to look back up, humming under his breath and drumming a rhythm with his fingers. He was about to start whistling when Michelle levelled a sharp look at him. Simon retracted his hand, stuffing it in his pocket and plastering a smile on his face.

  
  
  
  


"What do you need Simon?"

"Um? Oh I was supposed to meet Cat for something, but she isn't answering any of my texts, so I was wondering if you could page her. Unless she's busy-" Simon held out a hand, his eyes widening a bit, "Of course she's busy, this is a trauma centre and the E.R is obviously buzzing with people. No need to bother her, my thing isn't important. She should focus on saving lives-"

  
  


"Breathe, Lewis," Michelle interrupted, a smirk tugging at her lips.

  
  


Simon blew out a loud breath and nodded, much to the nurse's amusement. Shaking her head at him, she put down her coffee and went to put away the file she had been studying. Simon bit the inside of his cheek when he noticed her pick up the phone of its landline and dial a number. She stuck the device between her shoulder and ear, sighing as she waited for someone to pick up on the other line. A frown suddenly appeared on her face, her gaze focused on something behind Simon.

  
  


"What the hell are you doing here, Lightwood?"

"Big boss called me," a voice from behind him responded, "Told me I was supposed to meet him here, so."

  
  
  


Michelle rolled her eyes and Simon turned to see the new source of her aggravation. And found himself unable to look away.  _ She _ seemed oblivious to his stare, leaning against the station while lazily scrolling through her phone. She didn't look like a doctor, Simon found himself thinking, and yet, she looked up from her phone whenever a member of the stuff would greet her, a smile stretching her red ruby lips. Her long black hair was swept to the side, leaving her collarbone exposed. They were nearing November and the summer weather had long been replaced by fall winds and cool temperatures and yet, she was wearing a pink crop top with only a leather jacket covering it. Grey sweatpants and a pair of white sneakers completed her a look and while Simon wasn't one to remark everything, each detail of her appearance seemed to engrain itself in his brain. She didn't look like a doctor, Simon thought again. She looked like trouble.

  
  
  


"Hey Si."

  
  
  


Simon startled out of his contemplation when someone clasped his arm. Turning around, he relaxed when meeting Jem's amused eyes. The latter withdrew his hand, stuffing if in the pocket of his lab coat, his gaze moving to the tray of coffees before it moved back to Simon. Jem cocked an eyebrow at him.

  
  
  


"Didn't know you were doing deliveries."

"We usually don't," Simon handed him the cup with his name written on it, "But Tessa may have mentioned that you and Cat had a long night and you're always complaining about how the coffee here tastes like cat piss, so," he shrugged, pushing himself off the station.

"That's really nice of you, thanks," Jem wrapped both of his hands around his drink, letting out a content hum after taking a small sip, "Cat's busy for now, but we both have a meeting in ten minutes, so I'll give her this," he took the Styrofoam cup labelled  _ Cat _ , smiling when noticing that hastily drawn cat on the side of the cup.

  
  
  


Simon nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Jem narrowed his eyes at him when he noticed that Simon didn't make any move to leave, his gaze darting to the lone cup labelled  _ Will _ . A small smile appeared on his face and Jem tilted his head to the side, leaning his hip against the nurse station.

  
  
  


"Y'know, you don't need to bribe us coffee, right?"

"Of course, I do!" Simon immediately spluttered and Jem had to raise his cup to his lips to hide his growing smile, "And who says I was bribing anyone? You're my friends, my buds, my fellas-" he grimaced at the last one before clearing his throat, "Can't I just do this favour for you while you're busy saving lives?"

Jem took another sip of his coffee, "Uh-uh," and Simon restrained the urge to groan.

"Okay but Will's a wild card, alright?" Simon said, ignoring Jem's knowing look as they got to the real reason of his presence, "If me bribing with coffee somehow convinces him to the concert tonight, why not, y'know?"

"Si, Will's a hardass and likes to pretend that nothing affects him. He's also made sure to have his evening free so he can go and see you perform in one of New York's hottest clubs.

  
  
  


Simon's shoulders sagged down as a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Jem grabbed his arm, giving it a comforting squeeze.

  
  
  


"Besides," Jem smirked, "Tessa won't hesitate to drag him out if needed be."

  
  
  


Simon snorted at that. Jem let his hand slid off his arm, throwing a look at his watch.

  
  
  


"Go," Simon took the tray off the station, cocking an eyebrow when Jem frowned at him, "You've given you pep talk of the day, Dr Carstairs, now go and save your lives."

  
  
  


Jem rolled his eyes, taking Cat's drink off the tray before he pushed himself the nurse station. He nudged Simon with his elbow.

  
  


"I'll see you tonight, Rockstar."

  
  


Simon responded with a two-fingered salute, smiling when it earned him a snort from Jem. Letting out a long breath, he drummed his fingers against the counter before taking the tray and its lone Styrofoam off it. As if feeling an absence by his side, Simon turned around and frowned when noticing that dark haired mystery girl had gone missing. With a sigh, he took Will's coffee and brought it to his nose. The cup was cold in his hands, which Simon thought Will wouldn't particularly appreciate. Which was why he shrugged before taking a sip out of it, immediately spluttering it out. Simon used the front of his shirt to wipe his mouth with, oblivious to the disgusted looks he attracted as he walked to the front doors.

  
  
  


"Aaah, this was a mistake," he mumbled, throwing the Styrofoam cup in a basket on his way outside.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


_ I'll be there in a few. Just need to wrap something up. _

  
  
  
  


Isabelle rolled her eyes at the text, popping a bubble inside her mouth. Letting out a sigh, she slipped her phone in her back pocket and crossed her arms over the station, standing on her toes as she tried to take a peek over the main desk. Michelle appeared out of nowhere, ignoring Isabelle's innocent grin and pushing her back with a simple finger as she passed by. She fell back on her heels with a groan. Hodge had been the one to call her, saying he needed her for something. He wouldn’t have call her in while the E.R was buzzing with people for no reason whatsoever.

 

 

Running her fingers through her hair, Isabelle turned around her and leaned back against the station, crossing a leg over the other as she observed the chaotic waiting room. A guy had a towel pressed to his forehead - a pinkish towel that Isabelle knew for sure had been white at some point - while the woman sitting across from with a back of ice over her knee. A sixteen year-old boy was in the process of getting his broken arm cast while another waited for someone to pop his dislocated shoulder back into place. Somehow, over the years, chaos had became her new normal and she wouldn't change it for anything in the world. People came in with knives stuck in their hands and Isabelle barely blinked at them.

 

And yet, Isabelle found her eyes drawn to the crying girl sitting on a cot a few feet away from her. Maybe the bright pink princess gown had been the thing that had caught Isabelle's eyes. Maybe it was her desperate mother trying to stop any member of the hospital staff, racking her hands through her hair with a whimper when a nurse passed her by without a glance. Isabelle wouldn't have been surprised if the woman had started crying right then and there. Throwing a look behind her shoulder - and assuring that she wasn't in Michelle's radar anymore - Isabelle pushed herself off the station, spat her gum in a trashcan and discreetly made her way to the cot. Quickly gathering her hair in a high ponytail, Isabelle grabbed her badge out of her wallet and pinned it to her leather jacket, making sure it was in view for the mother to notice.

  
  
  


"Hey there," Isabelle greeted, her gaze shifting from the mother to the crying girl, "I wasn't aware we treated royalty."

  
  
  


Isabelle watched as the older woman's confusion was quickly replaced by relief, returning to her daughter's side as Isabelle grabbed the chart off the cot and slid a stool next to the bed. She quickly skimmed through it, her gaze moving from the chart to the daughter-woman duo, the latter rubbing the girl's back while whispering words of comfort in her ear. Elena Martin, age 10, had been brought in a couple of hours ago after she had fallen from a tree, during her birthday party. She hadn't been brought right away and had only shown potential signs of a concussion thirty minutes after her fall.

 

Isabelle restrained the urge to scowl and groan at the poorly filled chart, maintaining a smile on her face as she dragged a cart to her and dropped the chart onto it. Sanitizing her hands, Isabelle slid on a pair of surgical gloves and rolled to the cot, her smile widening when she was face-to-face with Elena. The latter's cries had died down, hiccups racking through her body and tears and snot running over her body.

  
  
  


"I hope you'll forgive us for our lateness, your Highness," Isabelle said, hissing herself up on a knee, "The hospital had to made sure they had their best doctor on the case. Can you reminded me of your name for future references?"

 

"Elen-elena," she responded and Isabelle hoped that her stuttering was only caused by her hiccups.

 

"Of course, Princess Elena!" Isabelle hit her own forehead, "How foolish of me. My name is Isabelle, but you can call me Izzy."

 

"It's- it's- a pretty name," she whimpered.

 

"Why, thank you very much," Isabelle chuckled, gently tilting her head to the side, "so is yours. I assume that the very pretty woman at your side is your mother."

 

"Y-yes."

 

"And today's a pretty special day, right?" She gently prodded, holding her head so she wouldn't nod.

 

"Yes," Elena sniffed, "It's my-my birthday."

 

"Is it really?" Isabelle gasped, rolling back to the medical cart, "a very happy birthday to you, your Highness."

  
  
  


She grabbed a small flashlight out of the drawer, turning it on and off a couple of times before she rolled back to Elena.

  
  
  


"Can you open your eyes wide for me?" Isabelle instructed, loosely holding her chin between her fingers as she flashed the light in her eyes, wincing in sympathy when she tried to draw her head back with a whimper, "I know, I know. It's almost done.  Look up. Down. There we go."

  
  
  


Isabelle smiled, relief flooding her body when the girl's eyes responded to light, both pupils the same size. She slid the light into her back pocket and gently propped Elena's head, her brow furrowing when she felt a bump on the back of her head. Isabelle crossed her eyes when Elena looked up at her, an uncomfortable frown on her face. Isabelle lifted and lowered her eyebrows at the younger girl, restraining the urge to pump her fist when she got a giggle from Elena. She rolled back with a twirl, whistling as she did so and adding theatrics to the small gesture. Isabelle grabbed a comb wrapped in plastic and wipes before she went to stand between Elena, crooking her finger to the older woman.

  
  


"Queen Mother, I require your assistance."

  
  


The older woman went to stand beside Isabelle, her brow furrowed. Isabelle smiled at her reassuringly and handed her the pocket light, instructing her to hold it above Elena's head so Isabelle could see the bump more clearly and treat an eventual wound if needed be. Getting the comb out of its plastic wrap, Isabelle carefully combed Elena's hair, the teeth of the tool slowly going through each strand of hair as she made sure to not pull on it.

  
  
  


"Did she feel nauseated after her fall? Disoriented?" Isabelle asked, her voice soft

"Um- she felt dizzy and was a lot more quiet than she had been earlier.”

Isabelle's hand froze when she felt resistance against the comb.  _ Shit.  _ "Did she lose consciousness? Even for a minute? Hold the light there," she traded her comb for a needle, her head tilted to the side as she carefully tucked at the hair that seemed to be sticking onto Elena's scalp. It was either caused by sweat or blood. Isabelle hoped for the former.

  
  
  


"No, she didn't. Is something wrong?" She asked, frowning as she watched Isabelle pin Elena's hair up and away from the concussed area.

"What was the surface she fell on like?" Isabelle countered, her eyes narrowed and fingers precise, "Were there rocks? Was it concrete?"

  
  
  
  


Elena let out a sharp wince, her hand going up to the back of her head. Isabelle batted her hand away, grimacing in sympathy when she caught sight of a thin red line across the bump. She threw a look at the older woman, the latter having left her previous question unanswered. Tearing her eyes away from the small wound, she cleared her throat and shook her head.

  
  
  
  


"Neither, it was grass. I would be surprised if there were pebbles, we were in a park."

  
  
  


Isabelle hummed, throwing the needle in a trashcan and taking a pair of pincers out of a drawer. She wordlessly held out her head, smiling in thanks when Elena's mother dropped the light in her palm before she went to kneel in front of the girl, her hand rubbing circles on her knees. Isabelle carefully picked any pebbles or piece of grass before discarding the tool and grabbing a bag of cotton balls and bottle of antiseptic.

  
  
  
  


"Now, this might sting a little," Isabelle warned, "But I have no worries, you've braved throughout this entire ordeal with a little squeak. This is nothing compared to what you've been through," she smiled when Elena gave a small hum, squeezing her mother's hand, "Tell me about your birthday."

  
  


Isabelle listened while she cleaned the wound, reacting accordingly to Elena as the latter recounted her birthday party and the events leading to her fall. Much to Isabelle's relief, Elena's stuttering was long gone, and her speech was clear. The incision wasn't deep enough to need stitches and the bleeding had seemed to have stop. She chose to stick butterfly stitches, covering it with a white gauze.

  
  
  


"And we're done," Isabelle announced, taking off the pins and letting her hair fall down her shoulder, "Are you sure you aren't a warrior princess?" She asked, frowning in mock confusion and holding a closed fist in front of her

  
  


Elena let out a small giggle, bumping her fist with hers. Isabelle took the tiara off her lap and gently put it on her head before giving a small curtsy, grinning when the gesture earned a full-blown laugh. A grin appeared on her mother's face, the latter playing with Elena's hair. Grabbing the girl off the cot, she dropped her to her feet, on which Elena took a couple of steps under Isabelle's watchful gaze. After assuring herself that the girl wouldn't fall, she grabbed the medical chart and filled the blank spaces before adding her signature to the bottom.

  
  
  
  


"And since you're a very special patient," Isabelle tucked the chart under her arm before taking a box out of the drawer, "You're free to choose any candy you'd like."

  
  
  


With a gasp, Elena turned to look at her mother and grinned when the latter nodded, grabbing a handful of candies. Taking a lollipop for herself, Isabelle tucked it behind her ear and dropped the box onto the cart before walking Elena and her mother to the nurse station. She caught sight of Hodge standing next to it, talking with Michelle, his gaze alert. He smirked when he caught her eye and Isabelle restrained the urge to roll her eyes, settling for cocking an eyebrow at him before she turned back to her patient.

  
  
  


"While Elena doesn't show any sign of internal damage, I'd advise you to stay alert. She might feel more tired than usual, complain about headaches, dizziness or feel nauseated. You might also notice a change in her behaviour. If so, don't hesitate to call a doctor. The wound is superficial, and you should be able to treat yourself, just be careful when washing her hair. If not necessary, try to avoid it. Make sure to wake her up every three hours and-"

  
  
  


Isabelle interrupted herself when she noticed the older woman's wide eyes, the latter nodding as she tried to register all of the information she had just dropped on her. Isabelle plastered a smile on her face and squeezed her arm.

  
  


"Don't worry, a nurse will give you a pamphlet with everything you need to know, along with prescription," Isabelle handed off the chart, her smile widening as the other woman blew out a breath in relief. Her gaze fell to Elena, the latter sucking on a caramel, "As for you, your Highness," Isabelle crouched in front of her, "I'll see you in a week for check-up. But before then, make sure to stop by the cafeteria; they give ice cream on birthdays."

  
  
  


Isabelle winked at her, chuckling when Elena tried to wink back at her and ended up blinking. As she went to stand up, Elena put a hand on her shoulder and gestured for her to wait when seeing her confused frown. Isabelle found herself gaping it as the girl struggled to take off one of her many long bead necklaces before she moved to pass it over Isabelle's head. The latter bent her head, ignoring the lump in her throat as Elena made sure that every pearl was in its rightful place. When satisfied, Elena nodded to herself and stepped back.

  
  


"Thank you, Miss Izzy."

"Thank _ you, _ ” Isabelle retorted, wrapping two fingers around the fairy necklace, "I'll cherish and protect this with my life," she cleared her throat and stood back up, looking at Elena's mother, "A nurse will take care charge of Elena's discharge and all the paperwork linked to it in a few."

  
  
  


She mouthed a  _ thank you _ at her and Isabelle responded with a nod, returning the gesture with a chuckle when Elena waved goodbye. She blew out a breath when both walked away, snapping off her gloves and throwing them in a nearby trashcan before she turned around her. This time, she rolled her eyes when noticing Hodge's grin. Taking the lollipop off her ear, she took off its wrapper and popped it in her mouth as she walked toward him.

  
  


"Not a word," she held out a finger, taking her hair out of its ponytail.

  
  


"I wasn't going to say anything," he shrugged, leaning back against the station and crossing his ankles.

  
  


"You were late."

  
  


"I was," Hodge confirmed, "You handled yourself well. Nice necklace, by the way," he nodded toward the new piece of jewellery around her neck.

  
  


"Right?" Isabelle smirked at him, playing with the pendent, her smirk widening when he snorted, "Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Actually, that's part of why I was late," Hodge pushed himself off the station and gestured for her to follow him, "the Head of Paediatric retired a couple of days ago and James Carstairs will be assuming his position, meaning that there's a position just opened," he explained as they walked.

Isabelle frowned, crossing her arms, "Right. But what does that have to do with me?"

  
  
  
  


Hodge stopped in front of the elevators, pressing the call button before he stuffed his hands in his back pockets and leaned against the wall. Isabelle scowled when he took a dramatic breath, as if he was about to announce that he had discovered Amelia Earhart’s bones. Letting out a sigh, Isabelle flicked a piece of hair out of her eye and leaned against the wall opposing him. She froze when hearing the very distinctive laugh of one Camille Belcourt, her gaze immediately seeking the origin of the noise. And sure enough, there she stood, fresh out of hell, looking more like a model than a surgeon. Meliorn stood in front of her, one hand stuffed in his pocket while the other went to her face, brushing away a loose strand of hair.

  
  
  
  


"-Izzy? Still with me?"

  
  
  


She snapped out of her contemplation and turned around to face Hodge, the latter frowning at her. She startled when the doors of the elevators opened with a loud bell-like sound, not waiting for its currents passengers to get off the lift before she walked in, Hodge close on her heels. Isabelle bit into the candy and stuffed the plastic stem into her pocket, absently pressing a floor number as Hodge came to stand next to her. She cleared her throat and threw him a look from the corner of her eye.

  
  
  


"Sorry, what was that?"

  
  


"I was saying that since you have no particular speciality, it'd be interesting for you to see how paediatrics work. I've seen you with kids, you're good."

  
  


"Right," Isabelle said again, running her fingers through her hair, "And?"

 

"And...I might have mentioned in today's early meeting and it was pretty much established that you'll be working under Carstairs when coming back. If you want to, of course. Just saying, you'll be able to make schedule and won't have me breathing down your neck," he teased, nudging Isabelle's side with his elbow. She faked a smile in response.

 

 

She allowed a breath of relief that escaped her lips when the elevator doors closed, "That does sounds appealing."

 

 

"Right? Listen, you don't have to give me an answer right away, but you're free to listen to me ramble about it over a cup of coffee. Got some time?"

  
  


 

At that very moment, Isabelle craved more than the hospital's watered-down coffee. Still, she bit down her tongue, plastered a smile on her face and nodded.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Alec leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head with a groan. He let them fall back to his side, crossing a leg over the other and resting a foot on his knee as he swung from side to side. His gaze kept shifting from the computer on his lap and the boy bundled in covers and sleeping on the couch, on the other side of his office. 

 

Alec remembered the brief moment of panic that had coursed through his body when he had left an umpteenth meeting and turned on his phone to find a dozen of unread texts and missed calls from his siblings and Leo's school principal. Aline had been quick to reassure him and Alec had allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief when Jace had brought a feverish - but otherwise unharmed - Leo into his office. With a sigh, Alec rubbed his mouth and propped a foot on his desk, trying to focus on the mock case John had send him earlier. He didn't last five minutes before rolling his eyes and closing his laptop with a groan. Straightening in his chair, he moved to put his stuff in his shoulder bag and took a tablet out of a drawer, drumming his fingers against the desk as he waited for it to power on.

 

Stifling a yawn, Alec cracked his neck and rolled his chair back. From where he sat, he could see Aline sitting at her own desk, loudly chewing on a piece of gum, as if hoping it'd keep awake, and lazily scrolling on her tablet. He swallowed a snort when the phone ringing at her caused her to abruptly sit up, almost dropping the pad. Clearing her throat, she ran her fingers through her hair and dragged herself back to her desk, snapping out of her wary state as soon as she picked up the phone. Her eyes met his curious gaze and she gave him a small nod, confirming the identity of the person at the other end. He watched as she hung up the phone with a smile and got up, making her way to the his office.

  
  


 

"Mrs Walker is coming up," Aline announced with a sigh, drumming her fingers against the doorframe, "Do you need me to pick something up from the break room?"

Leaning  back, he tilted his head to the side and crossed his hands over his stomach, "a teakettle. A bag of crackers and Gatorade would also be nice.

 

Aline knocked a knuckle against the doorframe, "You got it."

 

 

He watched her twirl on her heels, stuffing her hands in the pocket of her skirt a   s she chose to take the stairs down instead of the elevators. Sure enough, a few moments later, the elevator doors opened, revealing Judith Walker. Pulling at his tie, Alec let out a breath and got up to his feet, plastering a smile as he went to greet the older woman.

 

 

“Mrs Walker, it’s nice to see again,” he held out a hand for her to shake.

 

To his surprise, she snorted and shook his hand. “No need for political correctness, I’m sure dealing with us was a nightmare.”

 

“Eh, less than most,” Alec retorted in jest, his head tilted to the side. “Please,” he gestured for her to walk in his office.

 

 

Alec noticed her frown when Walker’s gaze fell onto Leo’s sleeping for, a frown marring her face as she stepped into the office.

 

 

“I wasn’t aware it was  _ bring you child to work  _ day.”

 

“Urgh, not really. He’s sick and had to be taken out of school. Thankfully, you’re my last meeting of the day.”

 

“Then I’ll try to make it quick,” she said with a smile as she crossed her legs.

 

 

 

Alec returned the smile with a nod and grabbed his tablet off the desk, pulling documents and contracts onto the screen. He briefly looked back when Aline came back into the office, carrying a tray with a variety of tea for Walker to choose from, cup and teakettle next to it. Alec gave Aline a thankful grin when she dropped two water bottles and packet of crackers on his desk. She winked at him and stepped out of the office, brushing Leo’s hair out of his eyes as she passed him by. Clearing his throat, Alec straightened in his chair and slid the tablet to Walker, a numeric pen between his fingers.

 

 

“This is a quick summary of our several meetings. I’m going to let you skim through it, to see if there were some mistakes. Please, add your signature to the bottom of pages four and ten.”

 

 

Alec leaned back in his chair, swinging from side to side as she read through the document. She frowned at some point and Alec intervened from time to time, explaining  bullet points and terms that she didn’t understand.

 

“Thank you,” he drawled, quickly speed-reading through the file before he printed it.

 

 

Frowning down at the device in his hands as he pulled another contract, Alec was oblivious to Walker glancing at the framed photos on his desk.

 

 

“Is this your wife?”

 

 

Alec looked up at that, the tablet long forgotten as he caught sight of the photo that had caught her attention. It wasn’t a photo from their wedding, Alec didn’t want to have a photo that displayed some manufactured lie among photos of his siblings, son and friends. This particular photo had been taken by a local on one of their trips during their honeymoon, both of them making faces at the camera and their arms wrapped around a llama’s neck, Lydia’s sunglasses perched on its head. Alec cleared his throat, trying to not get lost in his thoughts.

 

 

“She was, yeah,” he muttered, fidgeting with the pen in his hands.

Walker’s eyes widened in realization as she replaced the photo in its place – next to a photo of Leo and himself during one of their birthday camping trips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

 

“It’s fine,” Alec brushed off her concern, not letting his eyes linger on the frame, “It was a long time ago,” he cleared his throat again and handed her the tablet, “This transcript is about the agreement we’ve come to. Once again, I’m going to leave time to read before signing.”

 

 

Alec propped his elbows on the desk, resting his chin on his joined hands. He frowned, looking behind Walker’s shoulder when he noticed Leo squirm around, coughing.

 

 

“Here you go,” Alec snapped out of his thoughts when the tablet was handed to him again.

 

 

He muttered his  _ thank _ s before saving and printing the document. Discarding the device, Alec walked out and grabbed the printed contracts, stapling it together. Swallowing a yawn, he walked back to his office and stamped both contracts before slipping them into a paper folder.

 

 

“Here you go,” he slid the folder to Walker with a smile, drumming his fingers against the desk.

 

 

She accepted the folder and got up to her feet, quickly imitated by Alec. He readjusted his tie and suit jacket as he stood up, rounding his desk to meet the older woman. Alec grabbed her stretched out and shook it before walking her to the door. She stopped at the threshold, her gaze drifting to Leo’s sleeping form, a smile stretching her lips.

 

 

“The last time we met, you told us that you didn’t believe that no children should grow up with the absence of a parent. Looks like you managed.”

 

 

He tilted his head to the side, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a half smile. “I’ve had my family and my late wife’s parents to help.  We stuck together, which made it easier. And Leo’s a pretty good kid.”

 

“He looks like he is,” Walker squeezed his arm, “Thank you, Mr Lightwood. And good luck.”

 

 

His hands stuffed in his pockets, Alec nodded. Watching Aline bid her farewell, Alec rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and turned back around, adjusting the blankets around Leo.

 

 

"Yo!"

  
  


Alec turned around and frowned at the sight of John standing at the threshold, a tall black man following close behind. His frown deepened when catching sight of the NYPD badge hanging from his belt. He cocked an eyebrow at John, the latter staring back at him with a knowing glint in his eye.

  
  


 

"Hey, what's up? I haven't the time to go through the files you've said me, by the way."

"Yeah, I thou ght so," John sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "That's not what why I'm here, though, I need your input on something else. You have a sec'?"

  
  
  
  
  


Knowing John - and seeing the detective that followed him - a sec usually meant an hour. At the very least. His eyes flickered to Leo, the latter frowning in his sleep and mumbling something under his breath. Aline appeared out of nowhere, her leather jacket on and shoulder bag on her shoulder as she stood between the two men.

  
  
  


 

"I'll bring Leo home," she held up a hand when he went to protest, smirking when he glared at her, "You'll owe me."

  
  
  


 

He swallowed a snort and stopped himself from rolling his eyes, sighing in defeat as he let his bag fall back on the floor. Alec crossed his office in two quick strides, crouching in front of the couch and gently shaking Leo awake. He grinned when Leo scrunched up his nose and pushed his hand, turning around so his back faced him. Running his fingers through his hair, Alec pulled away the covers and poked Leo's side, his smile widening at his squeak. With a groan, Leo cracked open an eye and threw a glare at his father, the latter undeterred by it. Alec pushed his blonde hair away from his clammy forehead, letting his hand linger on Leo's warm forehead. Leo slowly sat up, stretching his arms over his head before rubbing his glassy eyes.

  
  
  


"Is it time to go home yet?" He croaked out.

 

 

"Yep," Alec let his hand fall from his forehead, grabbing the boy's coat and scarf on the end of the couch, "Well, I gotta help Uncle John with something first, but Aline's going to bring you home. I'll be there soon, alright?"

  
  
  


Leo gave a tired nod and Alec squeezed his knee, dropping a kiss on the top of his head before standing back up. He wrapped Leo's scarf around his neck, making sure that every morsel of skin was covered before helping him up to his feet and into his coat. After handing Aline Leo's schoolbag and his keys, Alec escorted his son out, both of his hands on his shoulders to make sure the sleepy boy wouldn't fall. John ruffled his hair on his way out and  Alec watched as Aline wrapped an arm around his shoulders, holding him close to her side as they made their way to the elevators. Once the doors closed behind the two, Alec focused his attention back onto John and the stranger accompanying him. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Alec cocked an eyebrow at John. The latter pushed himself off the doorframe and held a hand toward the man next to him.

  
  


"Alec, meet Detective Luke Garroway. Detective, may I introduce you to Alec Lightwood?"

 

Alec held out a hand, his brow furrowing at the familiar name, "Nice to meet you. I believe I've met your wife."

 

"You have," Luke shook his hand with a small smile, "And you came highly recommended."

  
  
  


Both of his eyebrows jumped to his hairline at that, but Alec kept quiet. Letting go of Luke's hand, Alec pulled at his tie before gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk.

  
  


"Please," Alec rounded his desk, waiting for the two to sit down before he fell into his chair, "What can I help you with?"

  
  
  
  
  


Clearing his throat, Luke leaned forward and stretched out the folder he was carrying, waiting for Alec to take it.  His gaze drifted to John, his eyes narrowing, before he looked back at Luke and took the file out of his hand. Alec leaned back in his chair, flickering through the folder with a frown on his face.

 

 

“This is a murder case,” Alec muttered, his frown deepening. He looked up at the two, I don’t work murder cases.”

 

 

“Except it isn’t,” John said, sitting up. “This case never went to court because there wasn’t enough evidence to back it up. This, however,” he handed Alec a second folder, “did. I’ll spare you the read and tell you about it. Back in 2003, Asmodeus Bane was sentenced to 20 years of repetitive domestic abuse against his late wife, Nora Bane. Mrs Bane had often reported to the hospital with various injuries and bruises.”

 

“How did she die?” Alec asked, skimming along the file as John talked.

 

“According to the record, she hung herself.”

 

He cocked an eyebrow at John. “And according to the coroner’s and police’ s report too, so it seems.”

 

“Which is where the  murder case comes in,” John said, taping a finger against the desk, “He was original charged with premeditated murder, but it never made it to court.”

 

“What, you’re saying her suicide was staged?” Alec asked, his brow furrowed.

 

 

He restrained the urge to roll his eyes when John shrugged in response. Sighing, he threw the folder back onto his desk.

 

“Look, I still don’t see how I can help you. Both of these are closed cases.”

 

“Asmodeus was released a few days ago, on good behaviour. Five years before the end of his sentence,” Luke intervened.

 

“With all due respect, Detective Garroway, I don’t understand what you’re expecting from me. Send him back to prison?”

 

 

Alec watched as the older man clenched his jaw, cracking his knuckles against his chest. He winced.

 

 

“Asmodeus has a son. He’s already been through a lot and I don’t want to put him through another trial that would last an eternity and only result in failure. I just want to find a way to keep Asmodeus far away from him.”

 

Alec sighed and shook his head. “And I’d love to help you but again,” his gaze darted to John, “I’m not a public defender.”

 

“But I am,” John retorted, cocking an eyebrow, “Like Detective Garroway said, going to court will be our last resort. All we’re trying to do for now is find a way to keep him away.”

 

“With what?” Alec rubbed his eyes.

 

“That’s for me to find out,” John leaned back in his chair, “and for you to help me with.”

 

 

Alec narrowed his eyes at him and John smiled in response, an eyebrow up. He restrained the urge to groan and looked away when noticing a glint in his friend’s eyes, looking as if he already knew what his response. And he probably did. It wasn’t as if Alec was overwhelmed with cases at the moment. Sighing, Alec sat up and, ignoring John’s widening grin, turned toward Luke.  

 

 

“Tell me more about Asmodeus.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading - are people still reading this story ? - i love you all and your comments mean the world to me, so please do comment to tell me what you thought about this chapter. you can also follow me on tumblr @lesbianxshuri. 
> 
> until next time, babes 
> 
> kadi

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading ! Please take the time to leave a comment/kudo below ! 
> 
> Stay awesome, you gorgeous people :)


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